pulling teeth
August 9, 2011 § 1 Comment
In teaching my children to think critically, at some point they hold me accountable. Normally, I embrace the challenge. On occasion, I avoid it like my dentist.
When scheduling my children’s dentist appointments, my daughter asked me when do I go to the dentist. “When you are in school,” I bluffed. She studied my face closely and then knowingly said, “I hope so. That would only be fair.” It was right up there with catching me eating a cupcake for breakfast or running with scissors. I knew that she knew.
What my children do not know is that I am terrified of the dentist. I have never met an unkind dentist, I just cannot find anything pleasant about the experience and thereby immaturely exercise the power entrusted to me as an adult to avoid what I want to, because I am a grown-up now and no one can make me. Back to what they don’t know can’t hurt them.
My children also do not know who I vote for. I am determined that they grow up learning to gather information, balance their own values and priorities against those of politicians, and think for themselves rather than rely on what political party their father or I identify with. This is actually great fun come election time. My son is determined to “out” me and cleverly poses various questions designed to make me identify with a candidate. I put on my Devil’s Advocate hat and debate the opposite side of each coin until my son calls a truce and retreats to construct new questions.
Tomatoes and mushrooms. I do not like these in various forms, but my children are unaware. That’s right, I refuse to have them shun a food until they try it. Once they try it, if they can explain what they do not like about something, I am willing to honor their unique likes and dislikes.
I will confess, they do know I do not like snakes and their father feels equally uncomfortable around spiders. Otherwise, I am a mystery. Getting me to share would be like pulling teeth.
scribblechic 
I love the undertones of your writing, mulitple meanings in one but still all tying together.