I Quit My Job So I Could Wear Earrings — Here’s What I Learned
Is it vanity — or authenticity? Or both??
Like many other college students trying to fund their lifestyle, I worked a student job. I spent my days slinging pizzas and pushing heavy dish-ware carts around the bustling dining hall. Time seemed to move more slowly when I was there, but only because I was fixated on leaving as soon as I arrived. I hated my job, but its proximity to my dorm room was hardly a commute; having no mobility but my own two feet, the location of my job was especially ideal during those cold, dreary months in Pittsburgh.
Even then, I loved the look of ears embellished with earrings. Upon being hired, I reluctantly agreed that I would not wear any of the earrings that adorned the seven piercings I had at the time. It was a law under the FDA’s Food Code, and it was imperative to obey. What’s the point? I would think as I’d watch my coworkers’ bare hands submerge into a tub of fresh spaghetti sauce, now fully primed and seasoned for dinner.
I lived under the law for some time, but I simply couldn’t acquiesce. I felt lacking without my ear ornaments and had seen too many violations and hypocrites under one roof. Soon after my hire, I gave in to my desires and got two brand new ear piercings. What would anyone care? I thought. It couldn’t be any worse than Mel* blowing her nose with the same dishrag she used to wipe down the counter.
As any piercing veteran would know, I couldn’t leave my new holes unattended for too long; they might close up. I wasn’t willing to risk that. So I wore my new earrings to work, not expecting two tiny little studs to cause so much attention amongst the constant chaos of my workplace.
I was given an ultimatum by my manager: take out the earrings or quit the job. Without hesitation, I quit the job, much to his surprise. “Who would give up money for some earrings?” Well, me. And I have been wearing earrings every day ever since. Best of all, I’ve turned my love for earrings into a living — I now sell handmade earrings on Etsy.
Though I closed the door on my student job many moons ago (I’m talking 2014), I consider it a stepping stone to where I am today. The moment I chose what made me happy over making money at a job I found miserable gave me some clarity to who I was, what I enjoyed, and what sacrifices I would make for what I valued.
Sure, I was broke after I quit my job, but really — what student isn’t broke? And to learn that lesson? Priceless.
*Name has been changed to maintain confidentiality.
