A Benjamin an Ear

My father didn't like pierced ears; they reminded him of the ear tags on pigs at the livestock auction -- really. My mom never had hers done. Somehow, however, at age 16, I convinced her to take me to get mine pierced by a friend's neighbor who was a jeweler and brought home her piercing gun. 

I don't remember my father's initial reaction -- perhaps I've repressed it -- but a few months later, unable to bear his disappointment in me, I took out the earrings as a Christmas present to him. I didn't start wearing them again until well after I turned 18.

So I have baggage around this quaint rite of passage. I've never understood why some parents get their infants' lobes pierced, and earrings on even older girls seem too mature to me. 

Of course, this puts me outside of the norms of society. Most of Sarah's friends have had theirs pierced for years, and she's been requesting them for just as long.

I decided her 12th birthday was an appropriate milestone for such an event. When COVID came along, however, I was uneasy about the risk involved. Fortunately, since the occasion comes in July, the fact that she wouldn't be able to go swimming for months afterward sealed the deal on postponement.

I made an appointment at a respected piercing/tattoo shop for the end of September. The evening before, Sarah said rather casually, "So, I'll be able to take out my earrings for gymnastics competitions, right?" Ugh...of course not. 

I called the piercing place when they opened the next morning and apologetically asked to reschedule the appointment without losing my deposit. After checking with the owner, the woman said we could. Phew.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving was finally the day. We ate an early dinner and headed to Northampton. Sarah was a bit nervous, but she's a trooper. I wasn't sure what to expect, since I'd never been in a tattoo/piercing place before. Everyone was very friendly and wearing masks.

Sarah chose titanium studs with her ruby birthstone, and we were ushered into a private room, where we met Penelope, the business owner and piercer. She was high-energy and chatty, which probably helps keep her subjects' minds off of what's going on. 

Penelope showed me the flat-back studs, with posts that fit into a cylinder that goes through the ear from back to front -- such advances since I had mine done 40 years ago! She also informed me that after-care has changed -- no alcohol or turning the earrings; chamomile tea bag soaks and saline spray are the order of the day.

We were done and out the door in about half an hour. Besides the upgrades in earrings and after-care, the price was substantially more than when I had mine done for free. The piercing, earrings, and saline spray set me back more than $200!

Sarah loves the earrings, and her ears seem to be healing quickly with no problems. She's looking forward to wearing a pair of amber earrings from Mexico that Omar's mom gave her. And gift-buying just got easier, so there's that.