Earring Stories

This morning my earrings spoke to me. They didn't say "Good Morning, Leah, how are you today?" But as a way of communicating, those little buggers reminded me with a force that only memories can do of their story.

They are from Santa Barbara California, handmade oh, I think about 8 years ago. It was the time my husband and I were considering moving out there and we driving from San Diego up to San Fransisco checking things out. We liked Santa Barbara and the eclectic State Street. My husband loved the fact that the train came right into the city. He was so enamored of it we one day took a three hour ride to Oxnard and back clackety-clacketying enough for a life time.

We stayed in the Santa Barbara Inn which was down the street from Fess Parker's hotel and across the street from a waterfront park, where one Sunday there was a craft show. At that time homeless people were not allowed to sleep at night in the park, but they could sleep there during the day (!?). The day of the show was windy with tents flapping like Windjammer sails, and behind the booths were the sleeping homeless huddled together for warmth or covered from head to foot with whatever paraphernalia they had acquired that they could tie down so it wouldn't blow away.

I recall I saw the earrings, and liked them, but ever watchful for 'something better' passed them by, only to return after I had seen all there was to see. The artist who made my earring also made rings which she banged with a mallet to make a sort of texture on them. I bought two sets of earrings and one ring.

I don't wear the earrings all that often, but I love how unusual they are and get a kick out of seeing peoples eyes slide over to them when we are talking and sliding back to my face after they've figured out how they work.

I stayed in the wind and talked with the woman for a while, even though Steve and I were going on the road that day. I didn't want to leave, I wanted the Santa Barbara lifestyle, or what I imagined it to be- leisurely and problem free with someone to cook my food.

I'm glad now we didn't move there, even though there is no one to cook my food! And I cherish my Santa Barbara earrings for the happy memories they return me to every time a wear them.

What stories do your earrings tell you?