When pondering the idea of girlhood, and everything leading up to becoming a woman, most would think about getting your period for the first time, learning how to shave your legs, or buying your first bra. Small things like discovering your style or developing a taste for your room decor are part of girlhood as well are just as important and help shape the way girls grow up, and who they become.
There are quite a few changes that happen for girls, and various awkward periods, especially in middle school; this part of girlhood being the most distressing. Everything from new friendships to mental health and body changes. Throughout school, you meet girls who make you feel excited to go to school and hang out with them after. You all learn new things together, but grow as people individually. You endure the awkward stages as a group and eventually move through to a daunting place. Highschool. High school comes not only with new academic stress, but also friendship stress caused by drama. The girls you have known for years begin to argue about more than just what outfit to wear together.
Around this time, you are beginning to see a number of unrelated things occur, like apparent but varying fashion trends, girls getting their ears pierced, but also rising academic stress and romantic relationships forming. After noticing the number of people getting their ears pierced, you decide to talk to your mom and convince her to let you join the population of earring wearers. After the red-hot pain of choosing an earring set, and the actual needle, you have successfully transformed from girl to woman.
Arriving at school the next day, you feel like you can finally fit in with the rest of the ear piercing population. The excitement stays static until the most important day — the day when you can change out your earrings – finally comes. You have finally pushed through the six-to-eight weeks of the same earrings. You have collected various types of earrings — hoops of various sizes being some of them — and studs, eyeing them in the morning every day while getting ready for school. Taking out your old earrings feels like a relief until you realize you have to quickly pick a new pair out before the hole begins to close. Choosing the safer side and putting in another pair of studs, these bigger than the last, there is a sense of contentment.
However, going to school hits you like a tidal wave when you realize that many girls, including your own friends, have these larger, bright and shiny circles in their ears. Gold Hoops. You have a few pairs at home, but have been too nervous to wear them, considering they are a big step up from your very reliable studs. A few days later, you decide that it is time to put your brave face on and put in the hoops. As you remove your studs and slowly put the hoops in, you look at yourself in the mirror and wonder why you didn’t put hoops in sooner. Feeling a confidence boost and much more up to date with the girls at school, you walk into school with an extra pep in your step.
You realize that one of the most beautiful aspects of growing up as a girl is discovering the things that girls can all agree on. Gold hoops represent girls. No girl is the same, as is no hoop. Yet, as much as we fight and bicker and argue over everything, it is a true gift that we can all find one thing chic and decide to wear it out like it’s the best thing we own.