Memo From The Goddess

To: All my children
From: The Goddess/Mother Nature
Re: Latest Storm Equals Personal Growth

So after this weekend's ice storm/flurry fall, I am acutely aware of the "memos" Mother Nature sends us.

1. We drove around town today, and it seriously looks like a tornadoey, war-torn zone. Tree branches and limbs everywhere, on cars, houses. Power lines askew, roads blocked. And yet, it's brutal, but its her way of pruning. It's her way of clearing out the dead flora to make room for new growth. It's her destructive, yet efficient way to keep this planet working for us.

2. And naturally, it is her way of reminding us who exactly is in charge. We think we have it all figured out with our 401Ks, Roth IRAs, on-time car payments, cupboard full of groceries, cool little iPods, cell phones, video games, etc. etc. etc. But then she sends a crippling ice storm, causing power outages, and now we are without all of the aforementioned gadgets and even necessities like electricity and heat. It is all Mother Nature reminding us what life really is, pared down.

It's time and family and survival.

She strips us of all those encumbrances to see if we sink or swim. It's the same as with the trees. She "prunes" us of the old junk, which is our dependency on modern-day stuff and our attitude that we know everything, and tries to make us remember the things that will allow us to grow (change in attitudes, etc.)

So, I guess we should embrace all these opportunities for learning that the Goddess provides us for us. Easier said than done, no doubt about that.

Teeth

OK, in the space-time continuum of my world, the above is true. So there.

Update on my teeth.

I scheduled (and went to) an ortho appointment for last Thursday, because every single dentist I've ever had advises it. I can't say I'm too thrilled about more intensive work on my teeth, since I can barely withstand the cleaning, but, you know, whatever.

The ortho actually tells me that I do not have a dental emergency, which is kinda the opposite I expected to hear. Forever and ever, I've heard "you've got some crowding" or "did you know you still have one of your baby teeth?" or "you might want to think about jaw surgery and braces." I've known for a long time that I have a bad open bite (teeth don't meet in middle).

So, now, here's the guy that tells me he sees no abnormal wear and tear on my molars, which I assume would look like crap since they've done most of my chewing work for my adult life. He doesn't tell me that I absolutely must have dental work done...right now. Instead, he says, "It's up to you. I can't say you'll be fine for the rest of your life, but you might be. Your teeth might be fine until you die."

So, the ball's in my court. Do I want nice, straight, fully functional teeth? If so, am I really willing to endure two to three years of orthodontia and oral surgery? Ortho said I'd have 18 months of braces and then the surgery and recovery beyond that. Freaks me out a little to think about the surgery, but then again, so does the thought of my teeth rotting and falling (or being pulled) out. Also, should I just get it done now while I'm young enough to recover somewhat adequately or hope and pray that I'm not seventy-some years old when I gotta go have mouth surgery?

Ugh. Too many things to think about. My brain hurts already.

I just don't know. I never had braces as a kid, although I definitely needed them. My folks never had the money, and now that I do, I'm balking. I've lived with my teeth as is for the last couple of decades, and they've done their job. I certainly don't have one of those smiles where everyone cringes and wonders when I'm going to get my teeth fixed. But yet, I'd like to have straight teeth. I'd like to have my own teeth for as long as possible. The "worst case scenario" is still very cloudy...what's the worst that could happen if I do nothing?

Although, if I do this whole mouth-fixing rigamarole, maybe it'll stop my recurring teeth nightmares.

Sincerely. I'm not making that up. I have occasional nightmares where my teeth are being violently wrenched from my mouth. I never know who's doing it, but I always feel the tremendous pain, and see the blood. And I never fail to wake up in a sweat.