Tuesday, September 11, 2007

RECOLLECTIVE

This morning I had a doctor's appointment. The appointment was at 10:15, right by my house, so I used the free time before the doctor's office to run errands. It's amazing what all you can get done when you're not sitting in 5 p.m. traffic.

So, the doctor I was scheduled to visit was the orthodontist. I know, right? I do not do well with dentists or orthodontists. And I willingly signed up for this particular appointment. Sought a doctor, got a referral, got an appointment all with my own initiative. Well, not really with my own initiative. It's not like going to the orthodontist is a hobby I'm exploring. If the bonded wire that lives behind my bottom teeth hadn't decided to break in two at some point over the past year, I would not be telling this story in the first place. But it did, so I am.

So as I was filling out my paperwork, I realized it's been ten years since I got my braces off. Did you have braces? Do you remember the day you got them off? I was in eighth grade. It was a week or two before eighth grade gradation (or, a week or two before I sprained my ankle one degree shy of a break and had to graduate in an ankle brace.)

I remember the boy I had a crush on at the time noticed. Is this a Judy Blume book or what? He noticed I got my braces off. I felt like a queen. I can't believe that was a whole decade ago.

I also remember when I got the braces put on 13 years ago. I was in sixth grade then. I cried because I didn't want them. My orthodontist gave me a hug and said everyone has things they don't like about themselves, just look at his big nose! At least I could fix my flaw! (Although, looking back, I was pretty insecure about my nose as well. So maybe I was crying because he couldn't fix that too.) They asked me what color rubber bands I wanted. It was November and the Iron Bowl was a week away so naturally, I wanted orange and blue, dad gum it! Big mistake. I learned that lesson. Every month thereafter that it was silver silver silver. Always silver.

Anyway. I just can't believe that was ten years ago. And in case you were curious: no, ten years was apparently not enough time for someone to develop less-painful orthodontic instruments.

5 comments:

  1. I unfortunately did NOT learn the silver silver silver lesson until my second round of braces. Thus, there is about four years worth of pictures of me in which I look like I raided the gummy bear store. I don't even like gummy bears ...

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  2. Is it sad that when I had braces, there were no color choices. You got rubber band brown and liked it.

    And they would snap if you opened your mouth too wide. Ouch.

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  3. WAIT - you had the 2 rubber bands, one each side??? I was talking about the rubber bands they put on each bracket (I think Jennifer was too).
    One per tooth.
    You had the 2 bands! Aaaaaaaaahahaha.
    But. This is coming from the girl that had orange and blue all over...
    so who really wins?

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  4. So it looked like you were chewing bubble gum or pop rocks all day? Nice. Mine were for underbight bight fix. Yours were for jacked up teeth I guess:-)

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  5. No! It just looked like I had a lot of spirit for a school I didn't (yet) attend. And only for one month. I learned my lesson... can''t speak for Jen.

    By the way - what's an underbight bight? :)

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