Earring History

Once upon a time, there was a neurosurgeon "V". He had two partners. One (Billy) was a true blue conservative guy who worn his label with pride. The second partner (Bill) was perhaps the most "malleable" guy that anyone could imagine. I say "malleable" because he rarely stuck with any opinion and was a real waffle. Anyway, V had a penchant for taking holidays in Switzerland. He had done this for many years and now lives there. He knew that men in Switzerland often wear earrings in one or both ears. This intrigued V, and on more than one occasion, he had voiced a wish to someday have an earring.

A few days before a Swiss trip, V and Bill were having lunch in the doctor's dining room with several other docs. V again voiced his desire for an earring someday. With some conviction, Bill announced, "I'll give you a thousand dollars if you get an earring and wear it for a week". The week was supposedly to allow Billy's conservative feelings to recover when he saw the deed. Among doctors in a southern Georgia city, an earring was going to be a good way out of the norm. V replied to Bill that he would have an earring on his return from Switzerland, and that he would look forward to the check. This was all witnessed by several doctors, and Bill was locked into his hastily made statement. V went back to the office and announced to the personnel his earring intentions. Billy heard all this and ran out of his office to confirm the facts. He then said, "Hell, for a thousand dollars, I'll get one too"! Evidently, his conservatism did have its price.

During the Swiss trip, V obtained a nice earring with a Swiss cow on it. The procedure and the ring cost about thirty dollars. Upon V's return to the USA, Bill came over to his house almost immediately. He cast a look at V's left ear and said, "I knew you would do it". Upon V's return to his office the next day, Bill's thousand dollar check was waiting on him. I said Bill was malleable, not a welsher.

Well, for the next several days, V's earring was a hit. Some patients ignored it, and some liked it. While V was in the doctor's lounge outside the operating room a day or so later, Billy and another doc showed up with EARRINGS! They looked genuine and had backs on them as if they pierced the ear lobe. Bill wandered in after an operation and was amazed when they each asked for their thousand dollars. Of course he wasn't bound to pay off, and the rings had magnetic backs and were not pierced.

V cogitated about what to do with his thousand dollars. He knew Bill well and could imagine "Just shows that he will do anything for money" as being his response to one and all. It so happened that Bill had a longstanding feud with the local public hospital and would only with great reluctance, set foot in the place. This hospital had a charitable foundation in place to help it raise funds. This was a tax deductible arrangement for donations. V sent the check endorsed over to the foundation to the hospital. They received this with gratitude manifested by a letter to Bill and the inscription of his name on a plaque of honor. V took the tax deduction.

Fourteen years have gone by, and the thirty dollar investment still sits in V's left ear. Wonder what I would have gotten to NOT have it put into the right ear? Never thought of that!