Though I don't think I should have to, I am going to explain why I have an earring. This is going to be cathartic for me because since I put the earring back in about a week ago, sometimes I am so tempted to take it back out and put it back in my little jewelry box that's sitting on my bedside table. But I don't do it. Why? Because that would be giving in. All my life I have been giving in to outside or peer pressure. Because basically I'm a wimp. I have always been a wimp. All my life. And I'm tired of it.
I have been on the Internet for the past week googling "guys with earrings", "Older guys with earrings" and related searches trying to find out what the general public thinks about--well, guys with earrings. Never have I come across a subject with such wide ranging opinions! Whew! My head spins sometimes with all the opinions I have read from "the guy must be gay" (nothing wrong with being gay, just that I'm not) and "it's stupid, don't do it", to "it's the greatest thing a man could do to show a bit of style and confidence" "go for it, it's your body, you're an adult you can do what you like". I tend to agree with the latter camp. it is my body. It is my ear. I am an adult (last time I checked) and I can do what I bloody well want to.
I think I am old enough and have earned that privilege to do what I want with my body. Why should I stop doing something because some stranger doesn't think I should?
A little history. I pierced my left ear when I was 21. I did it partly I think to piss off my dad. He was ultra conservative and this was my way of rebelling against my strict upbringing. He thought I did it to copy a rock singer (I'm too embarrassed to reveal who that was) but that wasn't why. He never really understood why because he passed away about 3 months later. I wore an earring for few years, a small stud the progressed to a gold hoop. Then I got bored with it. I thought that was the end of it.
But every few years I got the inkling to wear one again. It made me feel confident and a little cool and rebellious. Then I joined an ultra conservative church that frowned on guys with earrings. (they frowned on girls having more than one). So my earring wearing days were over...or so I thought. I stopped going to that church for a while about 10 years ago. I also turned 40 years old and went through a mini mid life crisis. I put the earring back in and dabbled with the idea of having both ears pierced, but soon gave up on that idea as a little too radical for me at the time.
I started going back to that church and again the earring went back into hiding.
Well I have now resigned from that church and recently turned 50. Another mid life crisis?
Maybe. And who knows how long I'll want to wear the earring. Another week. Another month? The rest of my life? And do I get my other ear pierced for a more balanced look? I'm not getting exactly rousing support from my family, but I feel this is important to me--for now. it's a phase. I know I'll get bored with it again. But I want the reason for my getting rid of it to be because I want to stop wearing it. Not from outside pressure. And not from a lack of self confidence.
It's funny. Everywhere I look I see guys, young and old with one earring, multiple earrings, both ears pierced. As soon as I put this stud back in last week, I hardly see anyone sporting jewelry on their lobes. Doesn't do much for my self confidence (come on guys, help me out!!!) , but I'm sticking to my guns. it's very important to me that I don't give in to pressure from society that thinks that wearing an earring is either the stupidest and silliest thing a man of my age could do to the greatest thing he could do to show a bit of style and confidence, because I've heard them all.
What's most important is that I don't think wearing an earring is stupid and I want the wearing of it and the removal of it to be on my terms. All my life I have been giving in to pressure and life is too short to worry about what other people think. I might die tomorrow and if I do does anyone really care that I was wearing an earring at the time? I don't really think so.
It's funny. Everywhere I look I see guys, young and old with one earring, multiple earrings, both ears pierced. As soon as I put this stud back in last week, I hardly see anyone sporting jewelry on their lobes. Doesn't do much for my self confidence (come on guys, help me out!!!) , but I'm sticking to my guns. it's very important to me that I don't give in to pressure from society that thinks that wearing an earring is either the stupidest and silliest thing a man of my age could do to the greatest thing he could do to show a bit of style and confidence, because I've heard them all.
What's most important is that I don't think wearing an earring is stupid and I want the wearing of it and the removal of it to be on my terms. All my life I have been giving in to pressure and life is too short to worry about what other people think. I might die tomorrow and if I do does anyone really care that I was wearing an earring at the time? I don't really think so.
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