Tyvek Again, and a Story: It's My Pain, Not Yours!

While I have another project to complete for the texture workshop, I decided to do something completely different for a few days, as long as I have strength (if not, then it might last more than a few days!) It's spring and I'm in the mood to do something light and airy, even though I love the texture of the other pieces. So this will be texture of a different sort, and I have done this before. So today I pulled out my materials for a Tyvek collage:

The Tyvek is on the bottom, and I gathered up elements which were had kind of a "neutrally" feel and look to them

Old hankies, lace, origami mesh,

scraps from the scrap box, old pages and texts,

tissue, cheese cloth and other such things.

Now I will begin laying them out, attaching them, and then applying paint. Stay tuned!

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It's My Pain, Not Yours!

51st in the Tuesday Story Series

The year I turned 39, my dentist calmly gave me some upsetting news when I was in his office for my usual visit. Because of the way my mouth was shaped, and the growing problems I had been having with TMJ (pain at the jaw hinge), he recommended I get braces. WHAT?? AT 39?? What a way to go into my forties, as he told me that I would probably have them at least two years.

He sent me down to a well respected orthodontist for an evaluation, and my husband accompanied me. After the examination and the moldings of my teeth were made (yucky), we sat in his office to discuss the plan. I was not a happy camper to think that I would be celebrating my 40th birthday with bright metal all across my mouth. As John and the doctor were discussing the procedure and the costs of everything, John asked him how much extra it would be to have "invisible" braces across the front. The answer was that it would be a hefty extra charge, and I burst into tears. John calmly reached over to hold my hand and told the doctor that's what we wanted to do. What a kind husband!

As I said, the orthodontist was highly respected in the area, but, as my grandmother would have said, he was rather full of himself. I did not find him particularly 

sympathetic during the regular visits and I noticed when he said "do this" the tech assistants would hop to it. After a while, I was really getting annoyed with his superior attitude.

As anyone who has worn braces before knows, on your regular visits, the wires were often tightened to speed up the work of straightening the teeth. This experience could often be painful for the following few days. At the office, the room where you sat in your chair was an open one, with many chairs of patients being examined by the Tech Assistants and the doctor would go from chair to chair, overseeing what needed to be done, and if the wires needed tightening, he'd do it. One visit as he approached me, I just knew I was in for a tightening. And I was right, and it hurt! I looked up at him after it was over and said,

"That really hurts! You've never worn braces yourself, have you?" 

He stared back at me, and then in a very patronizing voice said "And I'm sure your OB/GYN never had a baby either." And turned to walk away.

"Oh yes she has! Two, in fact!" I snapped back, rather annoyed.

He stopped, and whipped around to look at me.....

... I glared at him....

... he stood there for a minute, mumbled something that may have been an apology, and left.

I suddenly became aware of big grins and stage whispers and realized all the assistants were in rather high spirits.

"Thank you for saying that!" More than one of them said. "He had it coming!" others claimed. Many of the other patients were also grinning.

I didn't see him anymore that day, but honestly, the next time I came back, he was very differential and it never seemed to hurt as badly again. Maybe he had had a change of heart! And maybe others had better treatment too!

Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!