Some of the things were grateful for are said through gritted teeth. But don't actually grit your teeth too much, or else you might end up like me.
It's Thanksgiving my friends, and I love it. I haven't been around my whole family in a long time, and I've got a new niece that I need to meet! I have no shortage of things to be thankful for, but I wanted to give a less common perspective.
In the last twelve months, I have spent ~$1500 on my teeth. And none of it is my fault! I brush my teeth, I get them professionally cleaned and looked at every six months, all my dentists say I do a good job of taking care of my teeth.
It all started a couple weeks before last Thanksgiving. One of my teeth was sensitive to pressure, but the dentist couldn't pinpoint any cause, so we waited a few weeks to see if it would get better. I was sure I had a cavity hidden under the filling that was already there, so I had them check again and they suspected a crack, which would need a crown. Great. They sent me to an endodontist to see if the root was infected and it was, so I needed a root canal. Even better.
When I finally had the procedure, they couldn't finish it due to inflammation, so I had to wait with a temporary filling. Then, when I finally got it finished and had a temporary crown put on, I crunched a wasabi pea and broke it (curse you, spicy vegetable snacks!). Once the permanent crown was set, I was so glad that it was finally over.
The whole ordeal start to finish lasted from Thanksgiving to Easter because of how scheduling and doctors and such worked out.
But the next June, I woke up one morning with a familiar dreaded ache in a tooth with a large filling. Oh no, not this again. I called my dentist and set an appointment for a couple of days later. Until then, I chewed on the other side and gave every meal an appetizer of pain medicine to keep it from aching. I worked overtime the whole week to prepare my bank account for the inevitable. At my appointment, the dentist gave a verdict that was not as bad as I feared. The tooth was cracked, but not infected. So it needed a crown, not a root canal. Still expensive, but significantly cheaper. And still not fun. I've spent enough time in the dentist's chair over the years that any fear I may have had is replaced by annoyance and a desire to just get it done and move on with my life.
When you were a kid and were complaining about something, did anyone ever make you say ten things you were thankful for? My parents didn't (which is probably a good thing, it would have just made me mad), but in this situation, I actually did find that gratitude did soften the blow a little. Here's my list:
1. I'm thankful that I have a job with insurance so that all of this cost doesn't come out of my pocket.
2. I'm thankful that I know I have enough money. When I swipe my card to pay, I don't have to worry about it being declined.
3. I'm thankful for a dentist that knows what they are doing and that they were able to diagnose and treat the problem.
4. I'm thankful for modern dental techniques that allowed the procedures to be done with less discomfort than any time in human history.
5. I'm thankful for access to over the counter pain medicine so that I didn't have to put up with even the low level of pain from the procedures.
6. I'm thankful that I live in a country with access to clean water, toothpaste, and other dental health resources. I can't imagine living without those things. The pain would be excruciating.
7. I'm thankful that this is one of the biggest physical complaints I have in my life. I'm not in a place where I have to struggle with pain, limited mobility, or any number of things that I know many people face. I am extremely blessed with my good health, and I try not to take it for granted.
I know that's only seven, but I could probably go a lot more. In the Thanksgiving season, it's easy to be grateful for the things we actively enjoy like our family, friends, pets, a good cup of coffee, but it's not so easy to be grateful for the drooling numbness of yet another dental procedure. But I'm trying to turn more of my complaints into gratitude. Besides, no one wants to listen to me whine about how many times I have been shot up with Lidocaine in the last year and how much I hate it.
In a few days, I'll have the privilege of going back to Nebraska to be thankful for a brand new niece! It's going to be a great(ful) Thanksgiving, and I wish all of my readers the same. Try to appreciate your crazy relatives, and enjoy a second slice of pie if you want.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 25, 2019
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
The Use of Vanity
So, I recently had a really cool opportunity. The church I frequent held an event for Thanksgiving where they give gift bags to families with food insecurity to give them a Thanksgiving dinner. The bags were filled with things like a stuffing mix, canned vegetables, and a gift card for fresh itemsWhen they handed out the bags, they also had a carnival for the kiddos with games, a bouncy castle, food, face painting, all that good stuff. IT was amazing and it warmed my heart to see people who don't have much get shown a little love. I really hope that they were able to help create a nice holiday.
That's where I come in. When I heard they were looking for volunteers, a little voice in the back of my head pointed out that I have an Ariel costume. In my closet. That the kids would potentially love. I contacted the person organizing the event and she was all over it. Hey, I already went to all of the work of building the costume, I might as well use it.
The event was this last Saturday and it was amazing. The kids went gaga and I loved it. I got to see their faces light up and gave many hugs. Some of the parents were even more excited than the kids. Some of them tried to throw me off by asking tough questions, and I didn't break character once. I was so glad that I could give people that experience, that special memory. It gave me an odd thought, but one that is worth consideration.
My vanity got me here.
Vanity is supposed to be a bad thing, right? But I would never have been able to do this without it. When I say "vanity," I mean the idea of caring about appearance and things that don't really matter. I love interesting clothes, trying out different makeup, and creating a signature "look". I'm just as comfortable leaving the house in sweatpants without makeup, fashion is just something that I enjoy.
Now I know that "vanity" literally means useless, but I was just able to make it useful. I was able to use my love of fashion and crafting to give a great experience to children and adults. I'm not sure how much lasting impact I had, but If I at least made one kid's day, that's enough for me.
This experience got me thinking about how anything can be useful. Even actual uselessness or "vanity." If I didn't care about clothes or makeup, I never would have had the patience to build an entire Ariel cosplay. If I wasn't willing to put a lot of effort into every little detail from picking the EXACT wig color I wanted to the layering of the petticoats, it wouldn't have had the impact of looking like I had just stepped off the movie screen. If I didn't have a sea of random Disney knowledge sloshing around in my brain, I wouldn't have been able to stay in character while being interrogated by the more astute young'uns. Did something as inconsequential as this outfit open a door to show some love to people?
I had several children explain to me that you use a BRUSH on your hair, not a fork
The takeaway from all of this is that when God says he can use anything, He really means anything. People often take that idea to mean God can use flaws and negative traits, but it is worth noting that God can use traits that aren't really morally positive or negative. I love cosplay, and I'm so grateful that it has given me opportunities to help other people in some small way. I know that I was supposed to be there on Saturday. Even if I never find out the exact reason, I'm glad my silly little hobby could be of use. I'm going to try and keep my eyes open for more chances to use my talents, cosplay and otherwise, in unique ways. Even if it seems like something silly, or even truly useless and vain, there's always a chance it can be used for good.
That's where I come in. When I heard they were looking for volunteers, a little voice in the back of my head pointed out that I have an Ariel costume. In my closet. That the kids would potentially love. I contacted the person organizing the event and she was all over it. Hey, I already went to all of the work of building the costume, I might as well use it.
The event was this last Saturday and it was amazing. The kids went gaga and I loved it. I got to see their faces light up and gave many hugs. Some of the parents were even more excited than the kids. Some of them tried to throw me off by asking tough questions, and I didn't break character once. I was so glad that I could give people that experience, that special memory. It gave me an odd thought, but one that is worth consideration.
My vanity got me here.
Vanity is supposed to be a bad thing, right? But I would never have been able to do this without it. When I say "vanity," I mean the idea of caring about appearance and things that don't really matter. I love interesting clothes, trying out different makeup, and creating a signature "look". I'm just as comfortable leaving the house in sweatpants without makeup, fashion is just something that I enjoy.
Now I know that "vanity" literally means useless, but I was just able to make it useful. I was able to use my love of fashion and crafting to give a great experience to children and adults. I'm not sure how much lasting impact I had, but If I at least made one kid's day, that's enough for me.
This experience got me thinking about how anything can be useful. Even actual uselessness or "vanity." If I didn't care about clothes or makeup, I never would have had the patience to build an entire Ariel cosplay. If I wasn't willing to put a lot of effort into every little detail from picking the EXACT wig color I wanted to the layering of the petticoats, it wouldn't have had the impact of looking like I had just stepped off the movie screen. If I didn't have a sea of random Disney knowledge sloshing around in my brain, I wouldn't have been able to stay in character while being interrogated by the more astute young'uns. Did something as inconsequential as this outfit open a door to show some love to people?
I had several children explain to me that you use a BRUSH on your hair, not a fork
The takeaway from all of this is that when God says he can use anything, He really means anything. People often take that idea to mean God can use flaws and negative traits, but it is worth noting that God can use traits that aren't really morally positive or negative. I love cosplay, and I'm so grateful that it has given me opportunities to help other people in some small way. I know that I was supposed to be there on Saturday. Even if I never find out the exact reason, I'm glad my silly little hobby could be of use. I'm going to try and keep my eyes open for more chances to use my talents, cosplay and otherwise, in unique ways. Even if it seems like something silly, or even truly useless and vain, there's always a chance it can be used for good.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
I'm Not an Inspiration...
I'm not an inspiration...but you can be inspired by me
Okay, let me explain where I'm coming from. I love hearing about humans doing amazing things. Discovering new things, solving problems, looking at the world in a new way. Me being a science nerd, I gravitate towards scientific discoveries. In articles and news about scientific articles, I notice something. When a cool thing is achieved by a woman or person of a minority race, this one word comes up over and over.
Inspiration.
What makes someone an "inspiration"? Is it really just down to something you're born with?
It is important to acknowledge that people are treated differently because of things they can't control like sex, race, social class, or appearance. Yeah, it is waaaaay harder for someone who is wondering where there next meal will come from to do rocket science. And I'm not going to act like it doesn't sting when people say "oh, your degree is in biology? Do you want to be a teacher?" when I know that guys don't have to answer that all the time. People assume I'm a nurse when they is see my scrubs, never a doctor. But is that what makes an inspiration? Overcoming some unfairness of society?
I remember that one of my big inspirations as a kid was the show Mythbusters. If was investigative and scientific, but also a ton of fun. The hosts, Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman are passionate about what they do and manage to be educational and entertaining. But no one would say that they are "an inspiration to little girls" because they're guys. Guys can't inspire girls...can they?
There's nothing wrong with wanting to see all different sorts of people achieving great things, I love to see that. Please, achieve what the world says you shouldn't, and be the unexpected. But the emphasis should be on the achievement and what the person actually had to overcome, not just the buzzword. To draw inspiration shouldn't have a list of qualifiers. It limits potential instead of expanding it.
I guess this comes to mind because there are times when I feel like a traitor for not really connecting with someone who is an "inspiration" to my social group. Which is kind of ironic because something designed to be inclusive led to an "us vs. them" mentality. And being someone who does flashy things like cosplay, I want to inspire people. Not just my social group, but everyone. I don't want to just be pigeonholed into one kind of person I can impact. I feel like a lot of people labeled "inspirations" end up with that limitation, so that word kind of leaves a bad taste for me.
The takeaway of these musings is that it's okay to be inspired by anyone. If you are looking for career aspirations, there is nothing wrong with looking up to a stereotypical self-made millionaire, even if you have nothing in common. If you're looking for fashion and style inspiration, it's okay to look outside of your body type (personally, I would encourage it), no matter if that's thinner, fatter, more muscular, different skin tone.
All of these "inspirations" did something that society said they "shouldn't", you can be inspired by someone who you "shouldn't." You are not a traitor to your in-group by feeling a connection to an outsider.
I may not be an inspiration, but you can be inspired by me.
Okay, let me explain where I'm coming from. I love hearing about humans doing amazing things. Discovering new things, solving problems, looking at the world in a new way. Me being a science nerd, I gravitate towards scientific discoveries. In articles and news about scientific articles, I notice something. When a cool thing is achieved by a woman or person of a minority race, this one word comes up over and over.
Inspiration.
What makes someone an "inspiration"? Is it really just down to something you're born with?
It is important to acknowledge that people are treated differently because of things they can't control like sex, race, social class, or appearance. Yeah, it is waaaaay harder for someone who is wondering where there next meal will come from to do rocket science. And I'm not going to act like it doesn't sting when people say "oh, your degree is in biology? Do you want to be a teacher?" when I know that guys don't have to answer that all the time. People assume I'm a nurse when they is see my scrubs, never a doctor. But is that what makes an inspiration? Overcoming some unfairness of society?
I remember that one of my big inspirations as a kid was the show Mythbusters. If was investigative and scientific, but also a ton of fun. The hosts, Adam Savage and Jaime Hyneman are passionate about what they do and manage to be educational and entertaining. But no one would say that they are "an inspiration to little girls" because they're guys. Guys can't inspire girls...can they?
There's nothing wrong with wanting to see all different sorts of people achieving great things, I love to see that. Please, achieve what the world says you shouldn't, and be the unexpected. But the emphasis should be on the achievement and what the person actually had to overcome, not just the buzzword. To draw inspiration shouldn't have a list of qualifiers. It limits potential instead of expanding it.
I guess this comes to mind because there are times when I feel like a traitor for not really connecting with someone who is an "inspiration" to my social group. Which is kind of ironic because something designed to be inclusive led to an "us vs. them" mentality. And being someone who does flashy things like cosplay, I want to inspire people. Not just my social group, but everyone. I don't want to just be pigeonholed into one kind of person I can impact. I feel like a lot of people labeled "inspirations" end up with that limitation, so that word kind of leaves a bad taste for me.
The takeaway of these musings is that it's okay to be inspired by anyone. If you are looking for career aspirations, there is nothing wrong with looking up to a stereotypical self-made millionaire, even if you have nothing in common. If you're looking for fashion and style inspiration, it's okay to look outside of your body type (personally, I would encourage it), no matter if that's thinner, fatter, more muscular, different skin tone.
All of these "inspirations" did something that society said they "shouldn't", you can be inspired by someone who you "shouldn't." You are not a traitor to your in-group by feeling a connection to an outsider.
I may not be an inspiration, but you can be inspired by me.
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