Holy Ears!

Mommy always told me that I could get my ears pierced whenever I wanted. And in order to get my ears pierced, a needle would have to go through my ear. Twice! Because it's one needle in each ear. I thought about it for a long time. I liked wearing pretend earrings like tiny stickers or dots drawn on with markers on my ears. I really don't like needles. Sometimes I think about when I got shots at the Doctor's and I start to cry because I remember how much it hurts.

Every day on the walk home from school we pass by the piercing parlor. That's where people get holes put in them. Mommy said that this shop would be the place to get my ears pierced. She didn't want to take me to the mall to get my ears pierced because Mommy wasn't happy with how her ears ended up when she got them pierced as a kid at the mall. I hear they use some kind of earring gun at the mall. That sounds scary too. Because guns can hurt people!

After thinking about this whole ear piercing thing for a couple years, I decide that I want to go inside the piercing shop to see what it's all about. Daddy is also with us. We all go in and see the people working there. They have lots of metal in their ears and face. And lots of tattoos. And guess what? They are nice! They say that I can come in anytime to look at the pretty jewelry and ask questions. And when I decide I'm ready they will pierce my ears. That makes me feel happy. But still a little nervous!

Two days later after going in, I tell Mommy that I am ready.

Daddy takes me to the little mini-market around the corner and we buy some bubble gum to have afterwards. Yay! And this was big gum! I'm excited! And nervous! But I really want this.



All three of us go inside. Mommy says, "My daughter would like to get her ears pierced." The man working there says, "Sorry, we can't do it unless she asks for it herself." Uh oh, I'm shy to talk to people! But I get brave and ask, "Can I get my ears pierced, please?" And then the man says, "Sure!" Mommy fills out some paper. And I even write my signature. That's a fancy word for writing my name. I feel very important. I pick out my pretty earrings, which are shaped like barbells. They are pretty sparkly blue, my favorite color.

This man named Kenny takes us to the room. Kenny has lots of piercings. I wonder if they hurt when he got them. The room looks a lot like a doctor's office. There's even that table-bed thingy with that thin paper stretched across, but this one has Dr. Suess characters on it! Fun! There are glass jars with cotton balls and other neat things that I want to look inside.

And then I start to get real nervous. Kenny is nice though. He tells me he's going to school to be a pediatrics nurse. He says that a lot of the kids he meets at the hospital play pretend doctor with their stuffed animals. It helps them feel better. I remind myself that I should practice piercing my Snoopy's ears when I get home.

Kenny draws little dots on my ears where the earrings should go. He redraws one of them because it didn't look perfect. Then we're all set.



I'm really, really nervous.



I get all woozy. I feel like I don't want to be there. I try to shrink inside myself and Kenny says, "I can't pierce your ears if you do that." So Daddy and Mommy help me relax. Daddy lets me squeeze his hand. Deep breath. And then the needle goes in.




Waaaaahhh!!!!! I didn't think it would hurt that much. And then I saw the needle in the mirror, just dangling in my ear. Yikes! That's weird, but I'm still crying. And then the earring is in. Then the other side. Waaaaahhhhh!!! But it felt quicker.


And then it's done. And two minutes later I'm outside feeling really great! I'm so excited and happy! I jump up and down and talk a million words a minute. "OhmygodmyearsarepiercedanditdoesntreallyevenhurtmuchanymoreandcanIhavemygumandletsgogethotcocoa!"



So I get to chew my yummy gum as we walk to the coffee shop to get a fancy hot cocoa. I show off my new earrings to the lady working at the coffee shop and she said I was brave. She said she cried when she got her piercing. I believe her because, boy, that really hurts!



And a few days later, I learned how to blow bubbles with my gum!