Have you ever had a ‘Things to Do Before I Die’ list? The kind that includes some crazy items, some dumb items, and some time-tested items that, years down the line, you can’t believe you included in the list?

I have one of those, and so does Cathy, my wife. Both of us have never been the types to deny ourselves the opportunity to do something we wanted to do, whether together or individually. I, in particular, live with a certain philosophy that I don’t want to be 70 and live with the what-if’s and ‘what-could’ve-beens.’ Regret is an ugly thing (and so am I in anything yellow).

This philosophy governed a lot of my life decisions. I was not necessarily impulsive, but when I really wanted something, more often than not, I found myself unable to concentrate or function optimally until I got it.

Now one thing I’ve always wanted was to have some kind of stud on my body.

Specifically, I wanted to get my ear pierced. I never really got around to it, though, owing primarily to my dad’s vehement anger at the possibility of it. His logic: “If everyone’s jumping off a bridge, would you, too? You don’t need to join the fad.”

When Dad passed away, my mother and Cathy took up the cudgels, though I still wanted it. I bought a couple of magnetic ones that just didn’t do the trick, and there was a brief but wonderful affair with a Baguio clip-on that was great until I lost it God knows where. They just never had the same joie de vivre that came with the typical silver stud that I’d always wanted.

Anyway, when I turned 30 less than a month ago, I asked myself yet again, “Why not?” Cathy, out of love (or exasperation), said something like “If you really want it, then go for it.” Of course, said in Filipino, it’s a lot more crisp and, well, borders on the sarcastic. I told myself, “never mind.” But still, it tugged at me.

Now, people will want to do things that don’t necessarily make sense. Midlife crisis? I sure hope not. There are a lot more dangerous things out there people will want to try. I just don’t want to be 60 and looking foolish with a silver stud in my ear (certainly not half as foolish as I look now in my 30s).

So this morning, I made up my mind that I would get my ear pierced. I told myself, if people really hate it and think I look foolish with it at my age, then I’ll take it out a month or two after I’d gotten it, then the hole will close, as will that chapter of my what-if journal. I can be happy knowing I got it. But if people think it’s not so bad, well, yea for me!

So I went to Gaea Silver on the 5th floor of Glorietta and chose an awesome silver stud. The saleslady popped it through my earlobe, with surprisingly little pain, and that was that. Looking at myself, I can honestly say: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT.

Regardless of whether I keep it two months, two years, or two decades (not likely, though), I’m happy knowing I can cross the ‘get an earring’ item off my ‘Things to Do Before I Die’ list.

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