Musings from the dentist’s chair.

[beanside]

I had to have a tooth pulled yesterday. Wisdom tooth that hadn’t come in properly and ended up breaking and chewing up the inside of my cheek. I go to a dentist in the mildly redneck area of town because they’re good, and also, inexpensive. Problem is, if they ever were on time, I’d probably pass out. You can wait anywhere from half an hour up. Yesterday, it was two hours. Joy.

The wait, and the lovely people I was subjected to in the waiting room gave me plenty of things to think about though. I guess that’s good.



First, there was the young-looking mother of three. I put her at a maximum of twenty five. Her oldest was maybe eight or nine, with the younger two being probably between the ages of two and four.

They were every crappy parenting trait I’ve ever seen, on steroids. The youngest, at two, was running wild, running out the door, and down the strip mall. On the way back, he’d detour through the parking lot, giving the me and the woman sitting next to me a coronary. Would that his mother was that worried.

Her oldest suddenly went tearing out of the office, having been given Novocain and oxygen, acting like it was killing him. (the Novocaine had long since been administered—it wasn’t like he was running from the needle.) The mother proceeded to berate the poor dentist (who hadn’t even been in the room—he was letting the kid numb up) wanting to know what he’d done to her kid.

I call days like these my “birth control” days. They’re the ones that remind me why I don’t want children. Usually, I just have them at my office, though.

Once they were gone, I was without entertainment, until one of the women’s cell phones went off with a blaring rendition of “Jesus Take the Wheel.” This prompted much musing on the differences between the faith I was raised in vs the faith I’ve chosen.

Because, really. If I looked at the Lady or Lord, and said “take the wheel?” They’d drive my dumb ass off the road, no question. Probably yelling “Learn the damn lesson, already!”

It seems to me that in the Christian faith, the big thing is to surrender your will to God’s. Which is cool, if that’s what gets you through.

In paganism, though, the big thing is to learn your own damn lessons. There’s love and kindness, and assistance, but they aren’t going to do the heavy lifting for you. In all honesty, the days that I feel closest to deity is when I'm feeling all butch and hot and strong. Which reminds me, when I have $$, I need to go to the firing range. It's been too long.

Now, tis off to do some work, and to chug some painkillers.

Comments

[beanside.livejournal.com]

See, most days the grocery store just makes me homicidal. I can deal much better with children than the adults who go through the aisles like they're on their own personal demolition derby mission.

[plumcrazy61429.livejournal.com]

You need a license to fish; a license to hunt; a license to drive and to wed, but anyone, and I do mean ANYONE can procreate -- go figure!

[prmalscream.livejournal.com]

Every day is a birth control day for me. It's nice to know someone else who isn't interested in children. Everyone I know looks at me like I've grown a second head and tentacles every time I say we're not having children. Frankly, I have neither the patience nor that breeding instinct, and to this everyone says, oh, it's different when they're you're own. Pffttt, whatever.

I hope you're not in any pain from the dentist. :) And if you are, I hope they gave you the good stuff.

[beanside.livejournal.com]

*laugh* i work in a pediatrician's office, so I don't mind kids, I actually enjoy some of them, but I get my fix that way. And then, I hand them back.

Thank you! A little sore, but not horrible. (And yeah, I have the good drugs.)

[jooniper-pearl.livejournal.com]

For the record, then there are parents like me, that would never ever allow their children to behave that way in public. My children know what is expected of them and they behave accordingly. They do not run around and they do not cause a scene. If they are to act up, it better be at home. I do not take my kids out to dinner if I know they are having a bad day and will not behave appropriately. Yes, that does mean my husband and I do not get out as much, but we feel like our children are a reflection on ourselves and as such should behave. :)

Not all parents are like the ones you witnessed.

[beanside.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love kids. I actually work for a pediatrician, and there are a few that almost manage to make me think...well, maybe. Then they're inevitably followed by a shrieker, and I get over it.

But see, you're being rational. And I'd doubt you'd be all "Jaden, come back here. Jaden, come back. Don't you go over there. Jaden, get back here." while the kid's running out in the street.

[jooniper-pearl.livejournal.com]

Heh. No, I'd be one. two. that's it. You're done. Three. Pick child up, place in chair. "Move one more time and you will regret it." They don't tend to move much after that :)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

parents like that make my ego think, See, I so need to have kids to even out the gene pool a little. Then I get depressed that you need sperm.

Hope the painkillers were good to you.

[brynwulf]

There should be mandatory sterilization on a good 50% of the world. Just sayin'.

As for faith...yeah, about the time I hit 20 or so, I realized that the more strict/stern/conservative religions are for people who NEED someone to tell them what to do becuase they don't trust themselves or just don't have the brains to make their own decisions.

Wow, that was much snarkier than I usually am. Must have hit a nerve!

[mona1347.livejournal.com]

I realized that the more strict/stern/conservative religions are for people who NEED someone to tell them what to do because they don't trust themselves or just don't have the brains to make their own decisions.

WORDCAKES.

And it's why, as a pseudo-atheist/agnostic these days, the spiritual traditions I've been most drawn to are pagan ones.

Like, okay this is snarky too and terrible, but I feel like people who are into organized, institutionalized religions are taking the EASY path, the COMFORTING path. Like little children who think that hiding behind mommy's skirts is going to protect them from all the bad things out there. "Oh something bad happened to me, must be god's ineffable plan," or "oh I don't know what I'm doing, I'll 'give it up' to god..."

And I'm like...WHAT. Omg, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE and get down with the fact that shitty things happen to EVERYONE, good people and bad people, and that that is just part of life - what you can do is attempt to learn something from them. Suffering is neither a penalty or a "trial" you necessarily have to endure to "please god". I think that mentality makes people complacent and less likely to take action.

I mean, fine, whatever, if that helps people feel better, because shit life is hard, yo...but my judgmental ass sekritly and shamefully can't help but feel like it's the 'weak' choice, the choice to hide behind something instead of get out there and live in the world, with all its good and bad and in between.

[brynwulf]

WORDMUFFINS!!

I carry around a portable soapbox just for "personal responsibility." Srsly, I think 99% of the worlds grievances can be attributed to some form of personal NON-responsibility. It is never your fault. It's the government, your parents, your kids, and my personal favorite God's fault.

Lately I've been being smacked up side the head with it too. I just read Lucid Living last weekend and I'm all about dreaming up a new fucking life that doesn't mean I have to get up everyday and work for the corporate machine and deal with selfish, oblivious people.

Let's start a commune!

[mona1347.livejournal.com]

Mmm! *eats Wordmuffins* But YES. Personal responsibility. Sure, sometimes there isn't a damn thing you can do but most of the time this sort of complacency and blaming is about an inability to jump off the cliff into the unknown and TRY. To give up the comfort of routine and do something new.


Let's start a commune!

OMG CAN WE?!?! *clings* I keep having a commune fantasy too. Where we grow our own food and make our own clothes and, like, work the land in this honest, real way and sing songs and dance dances and things.

The only thing I think we absolutely need to still have from the Outside World is cable and the internet. Because...really.

[kgoodbuddy.livejournal.com]

You'd love going to the doctor or ER here in the south---it's the social event of the season, and it just ain't complete unless you drag all your snotty kids, grandma, great-uncle Bubba, and your ex's baby mama with you. I've never been able to figure out why Grandma couldn't just stay home with the damned kids instead of bringing them along to suck up and spread germs and irritate the rest of the world. Definitely a birth control experience ;)

[insaneboingo.livejournal.com]

Unlike the other people who look like they've actually commented with something intelligent to say, I have this:

When I read, 'Which reminds me, when I have $$, I need to go to the firing range. It's been too long., My initial reaction was "Wow, that's hot." ^_^

Just thought you needed to know that.