Random Thoughts: Lost Youth

Recently, I have lost a small piece of my childhood. Well, technically, it was a piece of my barely-into-adulthood. When I was just shy of my 19th birthday, I got my ear pierced. It wasn't an act of rebellion or anything. It just seemed like a thing to do. In addition to the piercing stud, I bought a pair of gold continuous hoop earrings. After the minimum waiting period, I put in the hoop. Between normal wear and cleaning and having to twist it to keep it from sticking, I managed to warp the first of the two hoops. After some amount of time that I can't recall, I switched to the other hoop. I have warn that every single day, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week with very few exceptions. I took it off for job interviews and I took it off when I was working in a factory one Summer. The last time I took it off was probably 7 or 8 months ago.

Well, the other day, I was taking the lights off the Christmas tree. Rather than walking around it, I was tossing the strand up over the top and pulling it around. On one fateful toss, a light managed to catch my hoop, pull it off and toss it into the abyss. OK, not really the abyss. It probably landed in the Christmas tree, although it's possible that it landed in any number of other locations in that corner of my house. All I know is that I shook the heck out of the tree, sifted through the dropped needles, and looked carefully in, around and under anything that could be concealing it. I even went so far as to get out the metal detector to sweep the tree, but it was too small and the rope and chains which hold the tree up provided too much signal to search the bottom half of the tree. I officially declared it lost.

I really haven't though about my earring much. However, now that it's gone, I feel naked and self-conscious and a little lost. I keep reaching up and touching my ear, somehow the hoop to be there. Sadly, it's gone. So, I ordered a new pair of hoops to replace my nearly antique jewelry. The first set lasted 20 years, but the first one had a short life. It is my hope that this pair will last at least until I'm 80. Then, the next pair should take me to 120, and so on.