Piercing Ears

I just took my earings out to clean and got to thinking back to when I pierced them. We lived on the farm in Iowa that was on a dirt road that I previously talked about. I was 12 years old and my cousin had just gotten her ears pierced. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world but my folks said I couldn't get mine pierced. So, wanting something badly enough I decided to do it myself. I got a cork, some alchohol, matches and a good sized sewing needle, I went upstairs to my room and commenced to pierce my ears. I dabbed the ear with alchohol, dipped the needle in it, heated up the needle, put the cork behind my ear and pierced the left one first. Everything went really well. It didn't hurt too bad and I got the earring in easily. I didn't have a post earring so put in one I could change the dangle on! The right ear was a little more difficult and I couldn't get the earring in. I worked on it for a long time and finally decided I had to go downstairs and let my parents know what I had done. At first they were a little angry but my Dad stepped up and said he would try to get the earring in for me. By then my ear was pretty darn sore but I bit my lip and let him put the earring in! I was so proud! 

Well, when I went so school all the girls thought it was pretty cool and wanted theirs pierced. So, I started taking my cork, alchohol, matches and needle to school and I charged 1 pair of earrings for every girl's ears I pierced! (Back then earrings were like .29¢ at the dime stores) I don't know how many I did before we moved and never got in trouble with parents or school officials. Can you imagine any one doing that now? I would probably be hauled off to jail or juvie! 

We moved to WA when I was 16 and no one had their ears pierced out here. I did my sisters, sister-in-law's and a few women's later because by then it was beginning to be popular. And I pierced our daughter's when she was old enough and wanted them pierced.

It is funny how times have changed!

Just thinking!