Friday
Apr022010
Flashback Friday: Individualism vs. Super Nerdiness
Friday, April 2, 2010 at 4:47AM
Reflecting on lessons, experiences and nerdiness and how it’s shaped me as an adult and parent-to-be.
It wasn't until I was 11 that I really felt the need to get my ears pierced. Up until then, earrings weren't really something that everyone cared about. For the times I did want to wear them, I just wore clipons. But in 5th grade, being in the top grade at my school (we switched schools for junior high) and having not quite yet made the slide from cute semi-popular girl to oh-dear-God-puberty-has-hit-full-on-AND-you're-a-smartie-dork student, I felt it was time to join the ranks of the other girls and hit up the Piercing Pagoda.
There was one problem, though. My parents didn't agree. They thought I was still too young for pierced ears. And it didn't help that my mom still wore clipons. They just didn't see the need like I did. They did, however, see that it was something I really wanted. So, my dad being Mr. I'm Sure We Can Come Up with a Solution had me a try a few things. We looked for clipons that LOOKED like pierced earrings. Right. He found magnetic earrings, which he had more fun putting in his nose than I did trying to keep them from falling off.
Finally he came up with the following. I still to this day have no idea where he got this idea. This is my dad for you. And I still to this day have no idea why I agreed.
Does this look familiar to you at all?
They're potholder and potholder loops. (I know, you're like, "Where the hell are we going here?" Just wait.) Don't know if you made these when you were younger, but I did. I was a crafty little lady and these were in my bags of stuff that I'd do when I was bored. Made them as gifts. Wore the loops as bracelts. All that jazz.
I could also take the loops and weave them into a necklace. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo and I couldn't find one online. I may have learned it from some Klutz book or something. Basically, they were about 1/2" of puffiness around and looked a little like they had been crocheted.
So, my dad gets the idea that I should take what I do for the necklace and make it into earrings. Maybe about an inch and a half long. And, how should they attach, you ask? Well, you leave one of the loops at the top and wrap it around your ear, of course! Voila! You have what my dad coined as Whole-Ear Earrings. Because they wrapped around your WHOLE EAR! They would be the next big thing! My peers were likely to ask me to make some for them! I could probably even SELL them! I could MAKE MONEY off Whole-Ear Earrings! So went the pitch from my dad.
And, while I didn't fully BUY the idea, I surely rented it. I've always liked to be different, especially if it meant I would get positive recognition. So, I grabbed my potholder loops and went to work. In about 15 minutes, I had various pairs to choose from.
I wish to God I had photos of these.
I wore them to school the next day. I was totally nervous. And, apparently one of my ears is much better suited for the Whole-Ear Earring than the other because only one stayed on really well. I would push my hair back often so as to bring attention to my colorfully decorated ears. I actually had a bunch of kids who were really interested. And I thought, "Whoa! My dad's idea is working!"
Until it was revealed that I made them. I think had I said I got them from somewhere cool like Los Angeles or some fancy city in Europe - I probably could have even named some local trendy store - then they would have been a hit for a while. However, once I let people know I made them, the reaction was as if I had bought them at Target. And, if you remember, fifth grade is NOT when it was awesome to brag about your great steal at Tar-jay.
I ended up taking them off by the end of the day. I think it was just a few days later when my dad took me to the mall to get my ears pierced.
Now, while I LOVE having this story to tell - I think it's hilarious and I would never go back to change it - would I do something like this to/for my little girl? I don't know. It's a fun story. It's one of many things that I think of when I think of the things that helped shaped my individuality and my general ability to do what I feel is right and fun and not to care too much about what others think. Like daning in the grocery store if a good song comes on. But, I think I'd just take my daughter to the Piercing Pagoda. Come up with other ways to instill her sense of creativity and self.
I'm a little more in touch with how mean kids can be at that age than my dad was (especially girls) and, although I don't believe in conforming to what the "popular" crowd does by any means, I don't want to push anything on her that would knowingly get her made fun of. It's going to be an interesting ride, raising a child. Full of some pretty wild challenges, some sad times and some pretty amazing moments I'm sure. And I'm only about nine weeks away from starting. I think my experience with Whole-Ear Earrings will certainly help me have more compassion for my children and a desire to fit in.
It wasn't until I was 11 that I really felt the need to get my ears pierced. Up until then, earrings weren't really something that everyone cared about. For the times I did want to wear them, I just wore clipons. But in 5th grade, being in the top grade at my school (we switched schools for junior high) and having not quite yet made the slide from cute semi-popular girl to oh-dear-God-puberty-has-hit-full-on-AND-you're-a-smartie-dork student, I felt it was time to join the ranks of the other girls and hit up the Piercing Pagoda.
There was one problem, though. My parents didn't agree. They thought I was still too young for pierced ears. And it didn't help that my mom still wore clipons. They just didn't see the need like I did. They did, however, see that it was something I really wanted. So, my dad being Mr. I'm Sure We Can Come Up with a Solution had me a try a few things. We looked for clipons that LOOKED like pierced earrings. Right. He found magnetic earrings, which he had more fun putting in his nose than I did trying to keep them from falling off.
Finally he came up with the following. I still to this day have no idea where he got this idea. This is my dad for you. And I still to this day have no idea why I agreed.
Does this look familiar to you at all?
They're potholder and potholder loops. (I know, you're like, "Where the hell are we going here?" Just wait.) Don't know if you made these when you were younger, but I did. I was a crafty little lady and these were in my bags of stuff that I'd do when I was bored. Made them as gifts. Wore the loops as bracelts. All that jazz.
I could also take the loops and weave them into a necklace. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo and I couldn't find one online. I may have learned it from some Klutz book or something. Basically, they were about 1/2" of puffiness around and looked a little like they had been crocheted.
So, my dad gets the idea that I should take what I do for the necklace and make it into earrings. Maybe about an inch and a half long. And, how should they attach, you ask? Well, you leave one of the loops at the top and wrap it around your ear, of course! Voila! You have what my dad coined as Whole-Ear Earrings. Because they wrapped around your WHOLE EAR! They would be the next big thing! My peers were likely to ask me to make some for them! I could probably even SELL them! I could MAKE MONEY off Whole-Ear Earrings! So went the pitch from my dad.
And, while I didn't fully BUY the idea, I surely rented it. I've always liked to be different, especially if it meant I would get positive recognition. So, I grabbed my potholder loops and went to work. In about 15 minutes, I had various pairs to choose from.
I wish to God I had photos of these.
I wore them to school the next day. I was totally nervous. And, apparently one of my ears is much better suited for the Whole-Ear Earring than the other because only one stayed on really well. I would push my hair back often so as to bring attention to my colorfully decorated ears. I actually had a bunch of kids who were really interested. And I thought, "Whoa! My dad's idea is working!"
Until it was revealed that I made them. I think had I said I got them from somewhere cool like Los Angeles or some fancy city in Europe - I probably could have even named some local trendy store - then they would have been a hit for a while. However, once I let people know I made them, the reaction was as if I had bought them at Target. And, if you remember, fifth grade is NOT when it was awesome to brag about your great steal at Tar-jay.
I ended up taking them off by the end of the day. I think it was just a few days later when my dad took me to the mall to get my ears pierced.
Now, while I LOVE having this story to tell - I think it's hilarious and I would never go back to change it - would I do something like this to/for my little girl? I don't know. It's a fun story. It's one of many things that I think of when I think of the things that helped shaped my individuality and my general ability to do what I feel is right and fun and not to care too much about what others think. Like daning in the grocery store if a good song comes on. But, I think I'd just take my daughter to the Piercing Pagoda. Come up with other ways to instill her sense of creativity and self.
I'm a little more in touch with how mean kids can be at that age than my dad was (especially girls) and, although I don't believe in conforming to what the "popular" crowd does by any means, I don't want to push anything on her that would knowingly get her made fun of. It's going to be an interesting ride, raising a child. Full of some pretty wild challenges, some sad times and some pretty amazing moments I'm sure. And I'm only about nine weeks away from starting. I think my experience with Whole-Ear Earrings will certainly help me have more compassion for my children and a desire to fit in.
Copyright; 2011, Blahggy. All rights reserved.
Reader Comments (11)
I think about a lot of similar instances... times I got clothing or accessories I loved or my parents loved, until I got to school and someone made fun of it. It's hard to know as a parent what's cool and what's not. It seems so arbitrary sometimes.
I worried more about this when it was still possible we were having a girl. It's one of the things I'm relieved about in regards to having a boy. I feel like maybe I can get a handle on parenting in general and then if our next is a girl, I'll be better prepared for all those additional complications.
I seriously almost peed my pants reading your description of the creation and naming of "Whole-Ear Earrings." What the hell was Pete thinking??
Honestly, I'd bet money he genuinely thought it was gonna be a super-cool idea. Bless his heart... ;-) Parents can't help but embarrass their children or set them up for embarrassment at some point. I think you'll do well avoiding it, though. Great post.
I totally had those potholder-maker thingies when I was younger!! I never made earring out of them though - that's pretty hilarious!
My parents were pretty against my getting my ears pierced too. I wanted them pierced when I was much younger, but I think I was actually 11 or 12 when they finally gave in.
stopping by from SITS . . . so glad that I was not the only one doing potholders and being my geeky self. ALthough, I did not have to wear them as earrings. Pretty sure that could qualify you for some therapy. Just sayin'. :)
That was a cute story. I used to make those pot holders too! But I never got clever enough to come up with " whole ear earings."
As a fellow super-nerd, I love this flashback! I don't know what it is about the 5th grade, but that seems to be the year that the wheat gets separated from the chaff...the smarty-pants being the wheat
Ha! Your dad sounds a bit like my mom. ;D
Although I eventually realized that it's okay to be unique, I really could have lived without all the teasing... kids can really take 'mean' to an unimaginable level!
I am dreeeaaaaaading the day the Babby comes to me to tell me she wants pierced ears. I'm not anti-piercing, but from what I can tell, most girls want them before their parents think they ought to have them. And I'm one of those people who secretly wishes my mom had said no when I asked, because I never have earrings, and hate the holes.
Thank you for sharing this funny, sweet, and totally relateable story from your childhood. I remember those potholder kits well! I, too, have a few memories from middle school and even high school where I did really silly things to try to create a trend or solve a "fitting in" problem. I love the way your dad tried to help, with so much creativity and love, yet totally clueless!
Hey, gotta give daddeo some credit...I think parents were pretty resourceful back then. But, I agree. Kids are brutal...and any chance I can save my dudes the humiliation I at times experienced growing up...then I will.
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