I didn’t do it when all the other girls were doing it.
Was I afraid it would hurt?
The A to Z Challenge – E is for Earings
My sister wanted her ears pierced and our parents got them pierced for her, for her tenth birthday. I remember sitting beside her, in that chair, thinking there was no way.
I am two years younger. Two years later, I chose a McDonald’s birthday party instead.
I couldn’t possibly be afraid of the pain, or was I?
Just a few more years and I had to face any fear of pain, fear of needles, as I was required to have a lot of them. A diagnosis for how sick I felt was badly needed. Blood tests (needles) confirmed the suspected diagnosis of kidney failure.
I would soon have many scars, including the scar tissue in my arms, from the needles.
I had no choice but to face my fears. In my early twenties I finally decided I should get my ears pierced.
I’d been gifted a pair of heart earrings, one day, while I sat at dialysis, by a favourite nurse. I could not wear them.
For years I liked to play with those stick on earrings, but one day I decided it was time, far passed time, and off I went.
Did I need to enter a medical crisis, in order to be forced to face my fears, before I could risk the pain of having holes punched in my earlobes?
I love my pierced ears now. They allow me to walk around with a little bit of adornment and ornament, as I am not usually a jewelry and accessories kind of a girl.
***This is my first year of joining the A to Z Challenge and so I’ve decided to post randomly, as a way for new visitors to my blog to get to know me a little better.
Her Headache 
Your post made me remember when I took my 10-year old daughter to the mall to get her ears pierced. She had been bugging me for months. When we got there, she told me she was nervous. After I made sure she wanted to go through with it, she sat in the chair and got her ears pierced. The second it was done, she passed out on the floor. She was a joker so I thought she might be faking. Turns out her anxiety got the best of her. I’m sure she’ll never forget that day. Laughs about it now.
That would have been quite the joke. I like how this A to Z can bring back memories to one person, after reading a post from someone else. What a day that must have been for the both of you.
The smell of rubbing alcohol always reminds me of getting my ears pierced. I was 14 at the time. Kind of funny you waited so long after going through so much. I’m sure the ear pain was minor compared to what you have endured.
Oh, it was Val. I would soon realize that. The most difficult part was the care it required to avoid infection. It really just felt like a heaviness in my earlobes. I love how our sense of smell can bring us back to another moment in time like that.
My 7-year-old has started asking to get her ears pierced, but backs off when I mention it involves a needle through her ear (or a piercing gun). But either way, I think we will be hitting this stage soon.
I’m okay with that. My mom refused to let me get mine pierced until I was 13 and I asked for years. She thought it was a “barbaric culture”. Since that time, I’ve stopped wearing earrings so the holes have closed over. But I wore them proudly for years!
YEs, it’s so funny what age one parent thinks is appropriate and such. One of my grandmas had hers done when she was just a baby. I always thought that sounded horrible and unnecessary, but it was the time and place, Europe in the early 20th century. My other grandma believed it was not necessary or appropriate to punch holes in the body. My mother never had hers done. I am sure you and your daughters will settle on the right age, in time.
She hasn’t asked for a little while so I think we’re good for now 🙂
Love this story! I would love to gift you a pair of earrings that I’ve been making (seriously . . . and I hope you don’t feel weird about me doing this). Feel free to choose from my Pinterest board (and then we can chat offline on where I’ll mail them to you). https://www.pinterest.com/jabbmabb/my-handmade-jewelry/
Oh, Judy, that is very generous of you. Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed my story.
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My mother wouldn’t let me get my ears pierced although her mother (my maternal grandmother) was very much for it. Some of my friends had their ears pierced using self piercing hoops. When I turned 18 my grandmother gave me the name of the doctor who pierced her ears. So I had mine done by a doctor and not at the mall. A few years ago I had a second hole, to both ears, added. I can understand some people being scared.