tooth & truth
November 15, 2013 § 7 Comments
Today I uncovered a moment of humor and humility at the dentist when my son respectfully suggested the hygienist consider removing the wisdom tooth pamphlets as he felt confident, “they will soon be irrelevant as human bodies evolve.”
With uneasy haste I ushered my soothsayer into the adjoining waiting room; uncomfortable with his pronouncement and eager to move past his premonition. There was, perhaps, barely a full minute between his departure and the dentist’s announcement that my son does not have wisdom teeth.
For one so typically guarded, I giggled in an unbridled acknowledgment of my son’s certainty; the humor of my ignorance underscored by my son’s conviction. I laughed not because he was right, but because I am no longer certain when he is wrong. My own knowledge is an irrelevant gauge of my son’s knowledge and there is both humility and humor to this truth.
scribblechic 
Soothsayer or toothsayer? 🙂
Either way it seems a mouthful.
LOL, if I have learned one thing over the years it’s to NOT react when I encounter something provocative. While initial assessments are frequently right–certainly more times than they are wrong–it’s far better to take the time to gather the necessary information and go through it carefully before reacting.
I’ve noticed this particularly in conversations. I’ve attended far too many meetings but did learn that the less I said the more effective my voice would be. You’ll notice it in conversations too. Many give and takes consist of people jostling for the opportunity to state their piece, without considering what the other people are saying. I guess that makes them just ‘gives’ right?
On a related note, son#3 (attending university and in dental braces) gets his out on the 22nd. Want to guess the cost for the procedure?
I am typically more accepting of my children’s conjecture as I tend to believe that children navigate truth and capture possibility with greater clarity than adults. To the credit of both dentist and hygienist, they were engaging and encouraging of each thought that accompanied our visit and gracious witnesses to the comedy of error that was my one woman performance of “mother knows best.”
I won’t even hazard a guess as to the cost of university and braces. I am still tallying the recent expense of glasses.
$2200 for wisdom teeth. $6300 for braces. Oh, and at present I have Three sons at uni. That said, it’s worth it. It’s always worth it.
So much for priceless smiles!
Did I mention daughter has braces too ? 🙂