I suppose he thinks it's childish or that high school was so-thirteen-years ago. My argument is that what's the point of getting a high school class ring if you're only supposed to wear it when you're high school. That doesn't make sense. Sometimes he'll ask me where my college or graduate school rings are. And I'll just shrug and say, "Meh. Didn't want one."
I notice I tend to wear it more when I'm drafting or revising. I suppose it helps me remember my teen self--all the boy drama, friend drama, boy drama, skating drama, boy drama, school drama...I think you get the picture. The cosmos just seemed different back then and it definitely seemed more centered around me. And any infinitesimal change in a facet of that cosmos would seem either universe shattering or the source of exponential happiness.
So, yes, wearing the ring reminds me of being teeny (no not microscopic but teenage-esque). But it is also a tangible reminder of the fruits of hard work. This ring was the first major purchase I had paid for on my own. I remember ordering it from a local jewelry store and having it put on layaway. Every week I would show up at that jewelry store with ten or twenty dollars from paycheck. The staff would always smile and take my money. I honestly can't remember how much it cost or how long it took me to pay it off, but the jewelry store staff shared in my triumph the day I got to take it home.
Do you have a memento or something you cherish that helps you remember your teen years?
What a wonderful memory. For me, it's my first writing notebook (a half-page size), and a series of shabby notebooks that followed. They contained my ideas for novels and stories throughout high school (I still have the stacks of them), and I always used a certain kind of pen. I still use that pen, though I've gone on to better notebooks. But when I write ideas by hand, it certainly takes me back.
ReplyDeleteYou've managed to hold onto a pen from high school! *Bows down to you* I lose pens on a daily basis. I swear there's a monster that stalks me eating all of my pens.
ReplyDeleteMy husband teases me when I wear my high school ring too! I'm with ya! It does sort of help put me back into my teen self!
ReplyDeletenicole
@writespell