June 5, 1999
Ouch!

For the females (and males that can relate) reading this page, how old were you when you first got your ears pierced? I am ten years old and even then I had to beg my mom to let me do it. I think the only reason I was given permission is because my good friend Abby was getting her ears pierced. The biggest reason I wanted to get my ears pierced was because Abby was doing it and my other friend, Stacey, had already done it. When the day came I was very excited.

Boy did it hurt! Most people will tell you that getting your ears pierced is a piece of cake and there is no pain involved. Don’t believe them! It hurts like holy heck. Having to turn the posts everyday after your ears are pierced, along with having to bath your lobes in rubbing alcohol, doesn’t help much. Ouch! The pain that I experienced is the reason I brought up this whole issue.

Today I was at the mall looking for earrings when I saw a mother having her infant daughter’s ears pierced. The poor child was crying like it was the end of the world and I felt so sorry for her. Does this picture seem wrong to anyone else? Getting sharp objects thrust though the sensitive skin of your ear lobes is painful enough when you WANT to have it done! I almost cried watching this mother subject her baby to that kind of pain. Why in the world would any little kid need to have pierced ears? This I cannot understand. If you wait about five to ten years then she can make a conscious decision to get it done. I wanted to give this woman a piece of my mind! All things considered that could be some form of child abuse, at least in my opinion. My mom was reluctant enough when I was ten years old.

When I was in high school I wanted to get another hole in each of my ears, but my mom had something against that. I kept my idea to myself because my mom was always saying how multiple holes would go out of style and how she hated the way it looked. Finally when I was seventeen I told my mom I wanted more holes in my ears. She went crazy. I told her that I was going to get it done as soon as I turned eighteen (that’s how old you have to be to get it done without your parent’s permission) if she wouldn’t allow it then. She decided that she would rather be there than not, so I had my second holes punched the next weekend. As soon as I got that done I wanted more holes! (I don’t have them yet, but I am seriously considering it for sometime soon. It has been almost three years since the last holes, for goodness sakes!)

I did get some silver earrings today at the mall. Why is it so hard to find plain silver hoops? Beats me, but I finally found some so I am pleased. It two trips to the mall to get it right, though. I went this morning and bought the earrings, but as soon as I got home and tried them on one of them broke. Great, another trip to the mall (which was busy tonight). I did get them exchanged, but I am wary of the craftsmanship and quality. The set I bought had three pairs of hoops so that will work well if I get the third hole soon. (Mom, if you are reading this you will be croaking by now!)

Wanna know how much schoolwork I have gotten done today? Try “very little.” I am going to post this entry online and then get to work. Maybe I can find a few more things that are of higher priority that need to get done first. (Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator. Don’t deny it.) Maybe I need to shower, or wash the dishes, or email someone, or just get some sleep. I am pretty tired already and it isn’t even 11 PM yet. Too bad I am going to die a painful academic death if I don’t read at least some of my History of Science stuff. Ok I am going now (reluctantly). I leave you with an appropriate comic strip to describe my plight.