All my friends were getting their ears pierced and I felt like the odd man out.  I swear I was the only girl in my school that still had my earlobes intact.  I begged and pleaded with Mom to let me get them pierced, but it did no good.  She was a rock.  It wasn’t happening.  Finally, it was Christmas and Mom and Jackie had conspired together to gift each other’s daughter with a coupon for “Two more holes in your head”.