Joshing away jitters

This afternoon I had an appointment with the dentist.  (It was just a routine cleaning [thank goodness], but still….) Those who know me know that I have some semi-dramatic dental phobia; I’ve had too much trauma done to my mouth, both as a kid and as an adult. (I had 10 years of braces [complete with face gear], 8 teeth extractions [4 teeth removed all at once when I was 10 years old; another 4 teeth removed at once when I was 18], oral surgery [performed when I was 30 – which resulted in permanent nerve damage on the right side of my face]…) So any time I have to go to the dentist, I’m a little ‘tense’.

But, I “put on my big-girl panties” (as one of my good friends likes to say), sucked it up, and went to the dentist.  When I arrived to her office, two older gentlemen were in the waiting room.  One man was in his 60s, the other in his 80s.  The sixty-year-old was rummaging in the refrigerator the dentist has stocked with beverages, looking for something tasty to drink.  As I sat down in an empty chair, the man looked at me and asked, “Can I get you anything, young lady?”

Lately I have been noticing myself getting older.  While I’m certainly not “old”, my skin is starting to show some signs of aging.  As is my hair.  And I can feel my body begin to shift and change, too.  Ugh.  So when this lovely gentleman called me “young lady”, I beamed.  I felt like I was 20 again; and even if it only lasted for a moment, it still felt great.

I politely declined the beverage offer; but when I spoke, the 80-year-old man looked at me, and said to his friend, “Not only is she young, but she’s pretty, too!”  Boy, these two are charmers, I tell ya…. I smiled at him, and said in a teasing voice, “Ah, but I’m a married woman, so don’t go getting any ideas!” and then laughed.  And both of the gentleman looked at me, paused, blinked, (mentally processed what I had just said, I think), and then laughed, too.

It felt wonderful to have such good-natured fun in a place I typically dread.  I offer many thanks to these two kidders for making my afternoon brighter; and I’m happy I was able to reciprocate a bit, too.  🙂

Stef