I remember when the very first person in my year at school got braces. It was 3rd grade. Word spread like wildfire. She suddenly became very popular.
We all wanted to see them. It was the coolest, most fashionable thing in the world. No one else had them.
We would stare at this lucky girl with jealousy when she talked. Humble bragging about what a pain it was to have braces. Her mouth slightly more pronounced, her words taken more seriously because of that elite shimmer of silver.
It was the equivalent of a grill nowadays.
I asked my mom if I could have braces and she said I didn’t need them. I made her take me to the dentist to get a professional opinion.
No luck.
I needed to find another way. At the point where most children give up, I got to work.
How could I get my own braces?
I suddenly remembered that earring backings kinda looked like brackets. Promptly, all my silver earrings were dismantled.
The rest was easy, I just needed a standard paper clip.
Done.
The next day at school, I managed to fool several people into thinking I had braces.
About an hour later I caved and shared my trick since everyone wanted braces, too. Besides, it wasn’t easy to keep them in place while talking.
And, what do you know? The next day several girls showed up with “braces”. Terribly executed, by the way. Nobody could straighten a paperclip like I could.
People in the neighboring classroom learned the secret, and soon, more of us were all walking around with wobbly, fake braces.
Eventually that phase ended and years later puberty hit. Braces became uncool and ugly. And right when school started having mixed dances… that friggin’ dentist told me I needed braces.
Bastard.
I was already in a very awkward stage…
It was two years. Both my 8th and 9th grade school pictures were horrific while that one lucky girl who got braces back in 3rd grade was the prettiest of the whole yearbook. With her perfect, white smile.
Nowadays, I don’t think braces are uncool, it’s actually pretty awesome they can fix teeth… But, I’ll never understand why I ever wanted them. As much as I wanted a toy or a bike.
I was a strange child.
Did you do anything crazy like this when growing up? Do tell me.
Thanks for reading,
Malu
5 Comments
I don’t think anyone can ever top your crazy, innovative, brilliant childhood stories. For you to think of earring backings as braces is just freaking genius. Just add them to a paper clip and voila! Homemade braces!
November 9, 2018 at 1:58 amHehehhe! I did not think about hygiene at all, though. I don’t remember ever washing the paper clips or the earring backings… ew….
January 1, 2019 at 9:51 pmI agree with Panda. Your childhood stories are unmatched! I can’t wait for the next one :D.
But did you know that fake braces became a thing in Asia? https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fake-braces-craze-asian-teens-status-symbol_n_2396027. You were so before your time!
November 9, 2018 at 9:19 amOh, wow! I would have gone crazy with this!!!!!! hahaha! 😀 Thanks for reading, Dings!
January 1, 2019 at 9:51 pmJajaja Encantadora y graciosa historia, lo mejor fue poderla leerla, ya que leà previamente cada post y comentario de su blog desde julio.
Nunca recuerdo haber hecho algo loco siempre fui un niño tranquilo y nunca hice algo asà porque fuera popular, a excepción de una competencia de naves de papiroflexia, pero no a su nivel de querer un aparato ortopédicos, el único que tuve y nunca lo pedà fueron 8 clavos en mi brazo izquierdo cuando era niño.
Probablemente lo único que no me arrepiento, pero no se porque lo pedÃa en ciertas ocasiones en su momento era ser adulto, si es increÃble ver la vida desde una perspectiva más madura pero la cantidad de problemas, obligaciones y dificultades que vive uno te hace desear volver aquellos dÃas en que la vida era más simple y sencilla en la que ser una gran persona era ganar en las escondidas o ser el último sobreviviente en una partida de quemados. Pero ahora hay una lucha que afrontar.
Me despido, increÃble blog y fantásticas historias. Saludos a usted y a Thor desde el D.F.
November 22, 2018 at 5:45 am