Becoming an Adult

In 1998 and 1999 I studied in Israel. I was a tad bored with the regular Hebrew U curriculum and looked elsewhere for more. I also wanted to take the opportunity to learn at yeshiva and get to know Jewish text better. There were very few places that would take a part time 20 year old, and I found one that was a horrible fit for me. I learned a lot, and mostly that I didn't want to become like them.

They were worried about my sandals not being modest enough and that my long skirt wasn't long enough. I had to walk there from the central bus station, and it was about a fifteen minute walk, in a hot country, so yeah, covering my body wasn't my first priority. When I went out downtown in Jerusalem, I sort of lived in fear of running into one of the rabbis.

One day, after classes, I was feeling particularly grossed out with super religious Judaism, and I popped into a shop and got my belly button pierced. This wasn't something I had always wanted. I don't think I had really thought about it too much at all. I don't even really remember what was going through my head (it's really not ME, you know?), but I did it.

Since then, not too many people knew it was there, but it was a nice little reminder of my (mostly lack of) rebelliousness. I thought it was cute (and so did Matt). The most recent one came from Chiang Mai, Thailand on a trip two and a half years ago with my brother.

One of the things that I didn't realise about getting pregnant is that you can't really keep in a normal belly button ring. In order to keep it in, you have to make a serious effort by getting a flexible one and putting that in until the pregnancy is over. I'm way too lazy for that, and I don't think I care about having the ring enough. I'm about 22 weeks into this thing, and it looked like it was going to pop out of my belly. My doctor warned me that 24 weeks was the limit.

So, this morning, I have bid adieu to the belly button ring. I feel like I am a responsible adult now (with a weird looking belly button).

If only I didn't still have that nose ring...