gement | Magical earrings, no more counselling

I just got my first piece of Pride jewelry. This both satisfies and amuses me.

I went to my last counselor's appointment this morning. I got surprisingly teary at the realization that I won't be seeing her again. Afterwards I wandered out aimlessly with a vague impulse to spend money and, totally against form, went to the mall. My quest ended at Claire's, a cheap girlygirl jewelry store, where I continued on my usually fruitless quest for work-appropriate clip earrings.

Miraculously, they had quite a selection, including a new technology called "spring hoop clips" which work admirably and look exactly like normal earrings. I selected two pair of these, very boring vanilla hoops in case I need them for work.

The cheerful salesperson informed me I got a third pair free. I sighed, knowing that nothing else on the rack really looked like something I'd wear, and looked at them all again. As if by magic, there was a pair that I swear had not been there before, tiny silver hoops with even tinier pride rings strung onto them.

I've always avoided pride jewelry out of a vague sense that I wasn't entitled. It dawned on me when I saw these lovely trinkets that I have lovers of both genders and dress up as a guy for fun. I can fuckin' well wear pride earrings if I want to.

Ironic that I reach this realization, and obtain the symbolic proof, after living on the border of Idaho for 2 years instead of in Seattle where it's everywhere. Or maybe that's why it was so much clearer here.