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Thursday 19 February 2009

Ahoy There Me Shipmates!

Pirates Ahoy, melads!

pirate Pictures, Images and Photos

Right, never mind that this is supposed to be my time for resting, relaxing and mild exercise, in order to begin the healing process... I had envisioned reading and catching up on lovely blogs and fabulous friends, responding to the kind comments that you have left...

Instead my dearest, darling, just turned 17 year old son, has just this moment returned from his school photography trip to Amsterdam with his left ear-lobe pierced, like a Pirate!

Did he mention to us that he was going to do this? No! Do I have any idea where he has had this done, and whether they followed proper hygienic techniques? No!

I have my own ears pierced, which my mother arranged for me (I was aghast...) when I was a teenager... I later had my left ear pierced again while I was at College, to enable me to affect a hippy style of wearing two earrings in that ear - That has never worked properly, and I feel an earring placed into that space as if it were a ginormous carbuncle... I realise this is pretty conservative in terms of the kinds of ear and body piercings one can be 'blessed' with these days...

So now, instead of just having to concentrate on me, I am ringing to inform my husband of the deed, asking him to buy a gold sleeper style earring to try to put right any wrongs caused by the act, and wondering how we can avoid the potential for infection, etc. etc...

He arrived back (typically) with some lousy silver-plated cannabis leaf earrings, which are already blackening, and some hideous diamante stud - Neither of which is either silver or gold, which I thought was always best to use and leave in for ages, turning religiously twice a day, is that still right?!

goddess Pictures, Images and Photos I am resorting to the Goddess Wiki... In fact, I wonder if it's because I have not been carrying out daily visits to Wiki's Temple, that I have incurred the goddess's wrath in this way?

Did you know: "Ear piercing is one of the oldest known forms of body modification, with artistic and written references from cultures around the world dating back to early history. One of the early signs of earrings worn by men are from the walls of Persepolis in ancient Persia, the carved images of the soldiers from various parts of the Persian Empire which are displayed on some of the surviving walls of the palace showing the soldiers wearing an ear ring.

Pierced ears were popular in the United States through the early 1920s, then fell into disfavour among women due to the rising popularity of clip-on earrings. Nevertheless, a small male following continued to exist, particularly among sailors, for whom a pierced earlobe often meant that the wearer had sailed around the world or had crossed the equator. In addition, if a non-service member sailor was involved in and survived a sinking ship, they were often seen wearing an earring in the left ear. There was also a long-held belief that puncturing the earlobe was beneficial to increasing the acuity of eyesight (see acupuncture) or of hearing". So that's all righty then, he'll be able to go out and forage for food at nights like a hedge-bat!
Sailing Ship Pictures, Images and Photos

"Also, it was a common belief amongst sailors that if their ship wrecked and their bodies washed up on a shoreline, the person to find them would take the earring as payment for a Christian burial. It is because of this belief that many sailors invested quite a bit of money on gold earrings, as they were very superstitious".

ear piercing Pictures, Images and Photos I imagine the ear-piercing and tattooing studio in Amsterdam to have looked a little like this... Perhaps that's just my dreams, 'though!

girl with the pearl earring Pictures, Images and Photos

And, "In the late 1960s, ear piercing began to make inroads among men through the hippie and gay communities. In the late 1970s, amateur piercings, sometimes with safety pins and/or multiple piercings, became popular in the punk rock community.
punk Pictures, Images and Photos

By the 1980s, the trend for male popular music performers to have pierced ears helped establish a fashion trend for men. This was later adopted by many professional athletes. British men started piercing both ears in the 1980s; George Michael of Wham! was a prominent example".
george Pictures, Images and Photos

"The heavily jewelled Mr. T was an early example of an American celebrity wearing earrings in both ears, although this trend did not become popular with mainstream American men until the 1990s. Mr. T Pictures, Images and Photos

Gay Pride Pictures, Images and Photos In various Western cultures, piercing the left vs. the right ear alone has sometimes been popularly perceived to be associated with a particular sexual orientation. In the late 60's it was said that "left is 'right' and right is 'wrong'"; the left ear being safe for piercing by straight men and a pierced right ear meaning one was gay. However, due to the lack of uniformity, such generalizations are essentially meaningless".

So now I have my very own version of Cap'n Jack... Marvellous, matey!

captain jack Pictures, Images and Photos

20 comments:

Jinksy said...

I'm too much of a cissy to have mine done - not the pain thing, but I have a supersensitive skin and would dread reactions because of that. Hope son's is straightforward. x

Diane said...

Boys will be boys ;)

I have 2 holes in my left ear, too, the second of which I added in college as well! :) But, like you (yet again), I don't wear an earring in it now.

Unknown said...

Hi Fhina,

Sounds so commonplace and remarkably innocent for these days! There are places he might be more reluctant to show you!!! Now, eyebrows, tongues, belly buttons ..... I'm feeling faint!

Chairman Bill said...

It'll be a tattoo next. Big beggar, right across his back. You mark my words!

French Fancy... said...

It was probably the surprise that made it worse as well, maybe he should have prepared you for it gently. I actually said far more apt and meaningful things and then got told by Blogger that it was a duplicated post - liars. This second attempt is but a mere botch of my original message.

Hoping he doesn't start with the old body art next.

Dumdad said...

I feel your pain!

I don't like any of this piercing, tattooing nonsense. But it's fashionable and, like sheep, people follow. Ugh.

Tim Atkinson said...

I nearly had mine done when I was seventeen, but chickened out. My friend who didn't (chicken out, that is) is now a Major. Who'd have thought it?

Suldog said...

I've never liked piercings on anyone, male or female. To each his or her own, of course, and it's not like everybody cares if they please ME. Never saw the beauty in poking a hole in some perfectly good part of your body, though.

blognut said...

I did the extra hole on the left too! Of course I did it with a needle, a potato (I have no idea why the potato), an ice cube, and a fair amount of alcohol when I was about 14. I know... 14. Anyway, there you have it, it's all closed up now and I don't look like I was ever that wild.

Saz said...

My darling daughter mistakenly falshed her belly button to me..and she was as horrified as I that I saw it!! She had had it done 4 months earlier, in fact this time last year! I was so cross, that she went and had it done, knowing that I had told her it wa sup to her what she did at 18, but not now, not my lovely skin, well hers, but its mine, YOU know what I mean...I hope.

I made it nurtured it, kept it alive, for 16 yrs,its part of me...
actually it was more the underhanded part of it, that she kept it secret and then compounded the issue by admitting, that she wouldnt have had it done if sh eand darren hadnt bunked off school and had a drink or two before hand...!!and the bloody tatto parlour, went and did it to a girl in uniform.. I checked and at 16 its legal..so yaboo sucks Mum!!
At least she didnt have one of theose awful earrings, that make a massive hole in the ear and gets bigger and bigger with each earring,like an african tribeswoman...looks great on them in their native dress and culture, but not here and now...god l hope thats not what he's had done...
bless their little (washed by us) cotton socks...

It has begun fhi!!

auntiegwen said...

I am absolutely convinced that my Eldest Beautiful Daughter has a plan to maim herself in some fashion for her upcoming 17th birthday, I send you my empathy as I feel I will be needing yours shortly ! x

Kate Coveny Hood said...

I get a little grossed out by my pierced ears sometimes. The idea of things dangling from flesh... But it's so mainstream that I never really thought of it that way until recently.

My husband has a really funny story about waking up after a drunken night at college with a tuquoise "girl" earring in his previously virgin ear. Apparently an ex girlfriend had her revenge on him when he was vulnerable. I'm fairly certain he deserved it.

xxx said...

Your blog is absolutely beautiful to view!

best wishes :-)

♥ Braja said...

Well, you certainly researched the crap outta that didn't you :))

Elo said...

My mother had my ears pierced when I was a baby. I think it is a kind of child abuse.
Now I'm 36 have holes in my ears and do not wear earings...I have not wore earings for years.
My son is far too young still to come home with an ear pierced (or anything else pierced) but I swear I will be MAD if he ever does!
Nice reading you!!! I shall come back ;o)

Anonymous said...

Made me laugh a lot...the picture of Mr.T and the image of his shipwrecked body and the rescuers being quite happy to give him a Christian burial.

Thing is with this piercing lark-the urge usually passes and the holes heal up very quickly. Son was just testing his independance. Be greatful it wasn't a HUGE AWFUL tattoo an daughter's thigh.

It's a heartache, nothing but a heartache...as Bonie Tyler tells us.

A Woman Of No Importance said...

jinksy: Dearest - That surprises me about you - You appear so brave! Grizz is not even out of bed yet, after sleeping virtually all of yesterday, so I have had no chance for Ear Inspections yet! x

Diane: If it weren't for the fact that we are on different time zones, and post at varying times, I would know we were doppelgaengers?! It's crazy and beautiful at the same time, we are so alike! I know that boys will be boys, and eventually men, and he is a treasure, but... I mean... xox

Derrick: I know you are so right about this not being as bad as it could have been under other circumstances, it's just my worry that his ear is going to go green that's doing me head in! Eyebrows, yak!

Chairman Bill: My OH, who was into karate in his youth always used to talk about having a rat with a golden tooth tattooed across his back - Perhaps it was my laughing him out of town that put him off! Being a maritime fella, do you have any tattoos you could post photos of, Sir, without causing public offence?

French Fancy: True, it was the fact that he had just gone and done it, although he was talking about it last year, and then went quiet on the idea... I have no objection to his having an ear pierced - There are worse things he could have done - It's just that I would have liked to have supervised the hygiene conditions, etc - More and more I am coming to realise I have a touch of control freakery going on in some areas of my life - This is a scary revelation! x Sorry you have had issues with Blogger - It seems to be very common!

Dumdad: Thank you, Sir, I do appreciate your stopping by when you are but on the brink of such adventures with dear Brainbox! It could have been a tongue piercing, and that I would have had major issues with!

The Dotterel: A Major, crikey! I never want Grizz to join the Army!!!

Suldog: Chacun a son gout, as they say in France, and on Robbie Williams' chest!

blognut: I would have had to have bit down on the potato, I think! I know my mother did hers with a needle over a candle flame and a potato, it is true! Hers were never even even! I believe strongly that even if we don't look wild, we can have wild hearts - I look like a blowsy Sunday School teacher, but in my heart I am wilder than Marianne Faithfull!

Fat, frumpy and fifty...: Saz, you are always full of such wisdom - And my friend just went through a very similar thing last hols with her daughter having her nose pierced - At the time, I thought, it looks very pretty, why are you so concerned, and then it happens to me!!! I had gone through that earlier with another colleague, who took her DD to have it done, that they can have belly piercings done if they just look 16, which covers most of our post-12 year old children these days! I have checked that he's not planning to do the whole ear-bung thing, which looks horrendous when they take the jewellery out - People are now having plastic surgery to correct the damage they've done to their ears through that! You're right, it is the deception, and you're right, it has begun! I have g-mailed you, Saz xxx

auntiegwen: I know exactly what you mean - We are lucky to have such wonderful children, and there are worse things they could be up to, but it is the fact that they can still catch you by surprise! I will be thinking of you and your lovely EBD! Perhaps if you start commenting on other young women's tattoos, you will get to the bottom of what may be brewing?! x

Kate Coveny Hood: I know exactly what you mean - We kind of had our ears pierced without thinking, and it's a strange thing to do, and yet I feel nyekked if I am not wearing my earrings, and carry spares in case I am ever caught short - Weird! I like your husband's story - We've just had a case where the man woke up from his drunken stupe with the avenging woman's name carved into his skin - Horrifying!

Ribbon: Please come back any time, pretty, flowing ribbon! x

Braja: It was a lazy 'cut and shut' job to be sure! I was a bit frazzled and spaced out - Not blissed out like your usual, proud authoresque, spa'd state, B! xxx

Elo: I've always felt uncomfortable with women having their tiny DD's ears pierced so early, before they can decide for themselves... Bless you for finding me - See you around!

Moannie: I was just reading on a gossip site (my only weakness!) that Bonnie T is often seen in her fabulous blue Bentley parked outside her local Spar! And I know you are speaking words of such wisdom, but we continue to worry about them all our lives, is it not true?! xxx

Michelle said...

Hello pretty lady,
So 1 piercing in his ear is so not a big deal these days!!

You should have seen how many I had which have now closed up.
I do have 5 tatts though. And I love them but regret a few of them.

I love you!! Have a great day!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm kind of laid back about earrings. I have them and wouldn't be too bothered if my boys got an ear pierced - although I'm not keen on other facial piercings.

I do rather like discreet tatooes though. I have a smal one (from my days in the Navy as it happens!)My thoughts are that as long as you can cover them up when necessary they are ok.

I never knew all that about sailors - thanks for sharing!

M said...

Well, Hispanic girls, in hundreds of millions of them, have it done at birth, usually, on the maternity ward.

Something I wrote earlier...

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