Got Your Back

 

Today's choice! Will add backs!

I’m not a big jewelry wearer, but I do love my pierced earrings. There is a small china tray on my dresser holding favorite pairs, and many more reside in a jewelry box. I have little gold earrings with my zodiac sign on them that I have had since my ears were first pierced as a young teen. My most recent pair I was given on Sunday by Julie, who bought them in Tel Aviv. Hammered silver, jade, Chinese coins, drop earrings, hoop earrings and pearl studs: my earring collection evokes memories of the places I’ve traveled, the wonderful people who have gifted me with them.

So losing several individual earrings within the past few months has been deeply distressing. In every case, the fault was my own—I neglected to attach a metal or plastic back to the earring, and it slipped off at some point in my day. The most recent casualty was one of my typewriter key earrings (letter E). I’ve had these for eons and they are true favorites. They’ve been sort of “good vibe” charm—I’ve worn them on Thursdays, my day off and my dedicated writing day. It’s goofy, but wearing them I have felt writerly and productive.  And now, one of them is gone. I have held out hope of recovery (under a chair? In the car?) but as the days pass with no sighting, that hope is dimming.

All by its lonesome

I’m just really annoyed with myself for not safeguarding my accessories better. It takes five seconds to secure the earring back—so why am I neglecting to do that? Am I that lazy, that the act of putting on a vital part of my jewelry selection is one exertion too many? I don’t want to read too much into this, but is it symptomatic of a deeper problem? I am restraining myself from Googling “early onset Alzheimer’s.” What if searching the Shop N Bag parking lot for a lost bauble is the gateway to putting my shoes in the refrigerator and the tomatoes in the washing machine?

After my initial panic and sorrow over these earbob losses, I always end up consoling myself: it’s just stuff, stuff I can most likely re-buy if I want to badly enough. In the present case, I am pretty sure that there is another pair of “E” typewriter key earrings in the universe. And if I purchase them, I will have three! A pair and a spare!

Meanwhile, tomorrow is Thursday, and I will be sitting down at the computer without wearing my magic inspirational earrings. Will I attempt an essay, only to produce pages of gibberish? Should I skip writing entirely until my earlobes are appropriately attired again?

No! I will wear a different set of earrings and I will STILL be able to compose something decent! I will overcome my silly hang-up and forge ahead!

But, dear whichever-earrings-I-select for Thursdays (and every day), I promise you, from now on: I’ve got your backs.