I’ve found something surprising recently: that the pirate tradition is alive and well up and down the East coast of the United States. In small sailing towns, talking to sailmakers, woodworkers, and others that work around the water, I’ve seen many men in their 40s with a small accoutrement that seems in stark contrast to their uniforms of L.L. Bean, sober haircuts, and sun-crinkled smiles—earrings. At first, I wondered if these men were gay recluses—the earrings looked so odd. I was surprised to learn that they were married and at least somewhat normally socialized in all other aspects of their lives.
Then I learned something:
Traditionally, a sailor who had rounded the Horn [Cape] was entitled to wear a gold loop earring — in the left ear, the one which had faced the Horn in a typical eastbound passage — and to dine with one foot on the table.source is Wikipedia on Cape Horn. I hope Harrison Ford wears an earring for some sailing exploit.
