There are two important life lessons that occur when a woman matures into her “forties.” First, you generally stop caring what others think about you and two, you realize the annoying inner voice that told you getting your nose pierced is a terrible idea…is actually wrong! 

Perhaps I should speak for myself when I say this but I distinctly recall my father telling me I could never bring a man home with any nose piercings! So, I got the subtle hint: NOSE PIERCING = BAD IDEA. 

It’s funny how many of our inner voices we adopt from our parents.  I always thought it was “cool” looking but I never allowed myself to think past that. I always heard that voice: nose piercing…bad idea.

And then recently, I started to really love the way it looks on certain women. And I got to thinking, but maybe I DO want one now, inner voice, I’m old enough to decide for myself, so SHUT-UP! I’M DOING IT!

My good friend, Nikki came for moral support (and because she got her nose ring at age sixteen!) I picked out my little triangular stud and felt a bit nervous in the waiting area. There was another young, sweet-looking girl who just happened to be getting her nose pierced for her 24th birthday! “Wow, I’m almost twice as old as you!” We all laughed. “Are you nervous,” I asked. “I’m kinda nervous for what my dad will say,” she confessed. “ME, TOO!!!” We all laughed again. 

It was painless, it was simple, the piercing artist was also a comedian (I’m making this up, he was just really funny!). And I left thinking…I wonder what other voices are really mine or left-over from my parents. Maybe my forties are about discovering who I really am.