Thursday, 20 May 2010
ID Bracelet
By Claire Jean
From someplace out of the very cluttered top drawer of my dresser appeared a silver chain link identification bracelet from my youth with my name, *C L A I R E*, neatly engraved on the flat part. Why I wondered, after all this time, did it give me a thrill to see it? My guess is that either someone special gave it to me or it was the thing to have at the time.
This rather dull looking bracelet continued to keep popping up in my mind, so much so, that I toyed with the idea of treating myself to a new one; an updated version. I had some odd gold earrings and since it seemed everyone was offering to buy gold, I thought this would be a good time to make an exchange.
Buying a new identification bracelet seemed simple enough. Or so I thought. I began my quest at the local mall jewelry kiosk and found one I sort of liked, but would continue to look around.
The jewelry stores in my area were able to show me a few very costly bracelets from catalogs, since those in the store were only male or baby ID bracelets. I knew I could purchase one online. However, I really wished to see the piece in person and have the ability to try it on.
Not wanting to turn this into a big project, I made one last effort and visited another mall a bit further away from my home. As I approached the young lady at the jewelry cubicle and explained what I was in search of, she very politely directed me to the nearest CVS, confident in her assumption that I was looking to buy one of those medical ID-alert bracelets. *#?@*&%!^!* I can only imagine my facial expression.
I thanked the young woman and went on with my business mostly, if not fully, recovered. Now I’m not one of those people who ever fell for those ridiculous lines/lies of people telling me I hadn’t changed in years, etc., but did feel, at that moment, flattened by the inference.
The young woman at the kiosk was merely mimicking what she had been sold by advertisers and by the general public.
In the end, I achieved my goal and now have an updated very nice ID bracelet with my name, *Claire*, engraved on it. I ordered it online at a very reasonable price through a wholesaler out of New York.
Perhaps one should let some things from the past remain there, then again, perhaps not.
[INVITATION: All elders, 50 and older, are welcome to submit stories for this blog. They can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, etc. Instructions for submitting are here.]
Posted by Ronni Bennett at 02:30 AM | Permalink | Email this post
Comments
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Hi Claire Jean,
I really enjoyed reading about your quest for an ID Bracelet.I am happy that you got one in spite of the jewelry troll who suggested the CVS.
Anything to get you out of her department and get her back to Twittering the girlfriends that some idiot wanted a bracelet so that she would always know what her name was and what disease she was suffering from..
Are these kids really getting dumber or is it just me?
Posted by: Nancy | Thursday, 20 May 2010 at 06:39 AM
Hi Nancy,
You’re probably right about her just wanting to get rid of me so she could carry on with texting or twittering. One would think that even if I looked the part, the proper thing to do would be to get more information as to what exactly I had in mind. She will learn one day to never assume anything!
On a lighter note, my dear friend was having a rough week and when I told her about my quest for a bracelet she and I shared one heck of a hearty, healthy laugh.
Posted by: Claire Jean | Thursday, 20 May 2010 at 09:46 AM
Thank you for confusing me.
Posted by: James J Henry Jr | Thursday, 20 May 2010 at 10:45 AM
Good for you for pursuing your id bracelet -- shame on that clerk for not taking the time to look into it for you. I think it's true she didn't want to be bothered -- not expensive enough.
Posted by: Guitar Grandma | Thursday, 20 May 2010 at 01:46 PM
I wanted so much to own one of those, but my parents couldn't afford it. Lucky me, my two older girl cousins, who made sure my sister and I got some of the hot items, got us silver barrettes with our name engraved--ALMOST as good.
Posted by: Lyn Burnstine | Thursday, 20 May 2010 at 07:31 PM
Claire - that is too funny!!! I enjoyed your story very much and may you continue to be pleasured with you NEW ID bracelet. Always remember some people open their mouthes and insert their "foots."
Posted by: Sheila Silver Halet | Tuesday, 25 May 2010 at 09:48 AM