Why I was Forced to get My Ears Pierced

It's okay to admit that most grown women have pierced ears in our society.  In fact, I would suffice it to say that it's not only an assumption, but an expectation.


At one time, I had 2 piercing in each ear plus the upper part of my ear cartilage pierced as well.


My daughter requested her ears to be pierced at 2 years old.


But me...


You know what - i'm just going to go ahead and admit it...


I do not have pierced ears anymore.


I know, pathetic.


I guess I've always had a short styled haircut where focusing on my earrings was never really an issue, so I just never wore earrings.


Until the whole wedding dress shopping situation.  When my friend and my daughter forcefully instructed me that I am to wear earrings on my wedding day and demanded that we leave the dress shop and get my ears pierced immediately.


We walked into Castleton Mall and headed to Claire's for the ear piercing.  I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I was nervous.  Like, wanna run the opposite direction scared.  The only calming thought I could provide myself was the fact that I've birthed 2 children, naturally.  If I can manage that pain, SURELY.... SURELY I can manage ear piercing.


It didn't help when the ear piercing 'specialist' turned out to be about 3.5 feet tall.  I was sitting in that tall ear piercing chair that they make you sit in, being approached by a lady that LITERALLY had to reach her arms up in the air to reach my ears.


I am not afraid to admit that i was nervous the whole ear piercing, reaching in the air incident was going to cause some sort of vertical ear piercing in my ear.  But I had to suck it up.


So, as the next 3 year old victim customer watched in the distance, I  practiced the same breathing techniques that I used when pushing my children into the world and felt two clicks, instantaneously in each ear.  One side courtesy of the midget....  the other side compliments of a nice teenage girl.


And yes, i know i'm going to hell for the midget comment.


Admittedly, as I got through the second full "in your nose, out your mouth" breath, it was over and I felt like a total idiot because really, it didn't even hurt.




As my daughter told more and more people about taking mommy to get her ears pierced, and more and more people looked at her like, "are you serious? your mom?" I started thinking.... 


"how did I ever let my pierced ears grow shut anyway?"


So, I thought back many many years to the last time I wore earrings... which was shortly before my sweet son was born just over 11 years ago.


***********
I have rather sensitive ears and tend to need 'nice' earrings in order to not make my ears hurt.  At that time in my life, I had one nice set of earrings, which I wore faithfully every single day.

At some point, I lost one of the earrings and couldn't really afford another nice set, so I just let my earrings go.  I was so upset that I'd lost the earring and searched all over for it.  I guess time got away from me, because here I was getting my ears pierced again - all because of a lost earring.


The funny thing is, after all these years I remember exactly which earring I lost.  Not only because they were my only nice set of earrings, but also because they came from my first love.


And now, 12 years after I received those earrings (and later lost one...) I'm going to marry the same awesome man that gave them to me.


While I won't be able to wear the original set of earrings he bought me so many years ago, I will be sporting some sweet earrings to fit the occasion. 


And, if nothing else, my daughter has a really fond memory of "the day my mom got her ears pierced."


...at age 31. Seriously.  Lame.