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Back in the mid-80s I taught drawing at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California (near Santa Cruz). We had large flat tables in the studio and one day a student, a woman in her 30s, stood up on one of the sitting benches to look straight down at her drawing on the table.
I was standing next to her, but on the floor, looking at her drawing with her. As she looked at her drawing she first raised her arms to stretch then put her hands on her hips. When she did that her blouse came up and showed her midriff and belly button. There, no more than 2 feet away from me, at face level, was a very bright and ornate piece of belly button jewelry.
I had actually never seen a belly button pierced (it was 25 years ago after all), much less a whole piece of jewelry in that location! I exclaimed pretty loudly, ‘WOW, that is amazing! Look at this everybody.’ and of course the students all looked our way. Some had seen that sort of thing, but most had not. It was an attention getter no doubt. She was very proud and happy to show it off.
My how times change. I wonder what would amaze people now, in 2011? What has amazed you recently?
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Arthur Hoppe, 1925-2000, San Francisco Chronicle columnist
>After living in Berkeley–home of "Naked Man"–nothing surprises me! I'd seen him naked so many times that when I saw him w/clothes I was shocked!
>I love it. Belly of all words. My oldest daughter once asked me, in front of the whole family, if she could get her belly button pierced. I said we would have to talk to a Dr. since I didn't know anything about what it entailed. She said 'oh, that's ok. I don't want to. I just wanted to know what you would say'.
>This made me laugh. My family wasn't allowed to say the word belly or belly button. We had to say navel. To this day we can make our mother cringe if we say "belly."
What has amazed me lately? Relating to your post, I can't believe I let me 17 year old daughter get an extra piercing on the top part of her ear. But, she did ask me for permission topped off with "Mom, I'm a good kid." She is. And I'm glad I let her, such a small thing in reality. It made her happy to know I allowed this little bit of independence.