Happy Independence Day!

if you live in the united states, july 4th is a day of fireworks and backyard barbecues with family and friends.  you might wear an obnoxious flag t-shirt or really go overboard and wear an entire red, white and blue outfit.  (like those freaks on the rachel ray show this morning.)  it's a day of celebrating our country's independence from the british and it's birthday. 

and it's also the day i got my navel pierced.

i had wanted a navel piercing for years. but had always told myself that a "fat girl" like me shouldn't have one.  that if i got to be a certain size then i could get one.  yadda yadda yadda.

then on july 4th, 2000 i said fuck it.  it was our country's day of independence from an old tired and restrictive regime.  and it was going to be my day of independence from putting my life on hold because of something that might never happen.  i was at the office with a couple of much younger work friends.  when i expressed my wish for getting my belly button pierced, they said "let's do it!  now."  you know, before i chickened out.

so they took me to harvard square. 

and i got it done.

happy independence day to everyone.  go out and do something that you always thought you shouldn't.  you know, because you thought you were too old, or too fat or too this or too that.  (however, don't do something stupid or illegal.  i do not condone bad behavior.)

**************************
day 77 -- i hope the belly shot didn't gross you out or anything.