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My Wonky Orbit!

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Srama, Dec 24, 2020.

  1. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    I am staring at the ceiling, thinking of the quote “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” ― Leonardo da Vinci. Well, just yesterday, I also learned that this quote might not have been the original by Da Vinci. The credit goes to who else, but a movie director! I am not surprised, for I had also earlier learnt that "Failure is not an option" associated with the Apollo 13 landing was also from a movie. Movie directors, fascinating people!

    You know, I have been gazing skywards these past few days Nah, past few months as I watched the daylight reduce day by day with the sky lighting up earlier and earlier. It is not just that Jupiter and Saturn dance that is going on, but also the birds in the sky - the real ones and the manmade ones that have always held my attention. I do not recall ever missing seeing a plane if I have heard it! Our house in my school days was somewhat near an airport and, I have always managed to follow the path of that low flying plane for as long as I could, with my gaze. I would even run out of the house, dropping whatever I was doing to watch that plane in fascination. Now, of course, like most of us, I watch the earth with fascination sitting in an aeroplane, wondering about the way it keeps us all bound to it! That has in no way diminished my love for flight. If anything, it has given wings to my imagination.

    As the world was getting excited about the great conjunction, the star of Bethlehem, the winter solstice, some of us on that day were only gazing skywards worriedly as the clouds continued to pour down the rain. As I picked my daughter up from her class that evening, to my joy, the sky had decided to clear up even if for a brief period. I had the fortune of enjoying the clouds, the sun, the colors and, the planets moving together in a dance, making me wonder if they are moving in unison or opposition. I also had seen this Screenshot_20201222-080537_Chrome_2.jpg multiple times during the day to keep that smile plastered on my face.

    My reverie is broken with the doctor entering the room. I have been inhaling while staring at that ceiling that 'laughing gas' to calm me down. If you read about laughing gas, it says, "when inhaled, the gas slows down the body's reaction time. This results in a calm, euphoric feeling". I am not sure if I should attribute my euphoria to the gas or the events of the last two days. 'She', on the other hand, introduces herself, asks me how I feel and nods to the thumbs up I give, and straight dives into my mouth with her tools before I could even answer her customary "How are you?" with words.

    As she continues with the procedure, I hear her often reminding me to breathe deeply through my nose. I raise my belly to that ceiling with every breath to her very encouraging murmur of ‘awesome’! I do the same with my yoga students - inhales /exhales, I mean. Do they feel this awesome? It must be the gas. I smile. I know the smile is only in my mind! I think she is fantastic as she continues to focus on my wide-open mouth. It must be the laughing gas! I can tell you this with confidence for a couple of hours after the procedure, only I know the pain I am enduring! I want to think of other things, loosen my hands holding my phone tightly like my life depended on that, shake my legs off. I am scolding myself for not asking beforehand how long the procedure would be and then submitting to the thought that says it is better I did not, for there are certain things we should not know – like the future. To that, I will certainly encourage you to add dental procedures. You will thank me for that. I realize the stillness around me, and, in the silence, I hear the noise the tools are making inside my head. I realize I find that very soothing. That noise has such a command over me that it would not let a thought pass by. I am enjoying and following the rhythm of that whirring and whooshing sounds, interrupted only with a couple of words between the dentist and her assistant. I wish I could see my tools of joy, but like other things I mentioned, I realize better not! I am telling you it is that laughing gas!

    The 32 pearls in our mouth! What a source of beauty they are! Especially that smile. Now do not even bring up that clenched jaw. If not for those teeth, imagine what our state would have been. As a yoga teacher, I feel the teeth should be thanking me for I remind students in every class to unclench that jaw, relieving the teeth of the pressure. However, I, for one, for the life of me, cannot get over the fact as to how an entire profession has been built based on those teeth! I am even more fascinated with the technology of brushing teeth. Going back to those days when I would look up to the sky watching that airplane go by as I brushed my teeth sometimes just with my finger in the backyard sink, now 'worried about the teeth' current me who uses AI technology driven toothbrush that flashes a red light even if I apply a tad bit of pressure, chiding me that I had applied pressure for ‘those’ many seconds! Does the AI know about the clenching of the jaw at all? Does it understand that our teeth stay way after we are gone? Have they not seen those skeletons, the ones we use in biology for study? Or agreed, the ones we see during Halloween? Does AI have any intelligence? Teeth cannot take the pressure of some soft bristles!! Blaah! Now, if you are wondering about the brush, believe me when I say it is a gift. I would never buy it myself! Left to me, neem bark or simple tooth powder on my fingertip aggressively against my teeth would be my choice! Teeth aren't that dainty ....until you have to see that dentist!

    I have been cleaned up, meaning all the tools holding my mouth wide open have been miraculously and very quickly removed. I am asked not to get up as they pumped in fresh oxygen. As my euphoria comes down and I land back on earth, I realize that I do want to know about the tools. In fact, I have a few questions to ask even, both about the tools and the procedure. After all my mouth feels nothing! I feel it may even be swollen. Is it bleeding? Is there a mirror? What did they do to me? But who am I kidding? We are talking of a dentist here. You see the tools are being put away while I breathe in fresh oxygen and, just like that the dentist has also walked out to deal with her next silent patient or is it silenced patient, not giving me an opportunity to answer even her simplest of questions she had asked before the procedure. As I get up, take my purse from the hook, and turn around, I realized that I could not even say bye to the assistant coherently! I also realized that I could never be a dentist - only because I could never ask a question and not know the answer to that question! Dentists sure have a knack to live in the questions of the world. Who else can keep your mouth open, yet not allow a sound from your mouth to come out and laugh in their heads going “Gottcha!! You can do nothing about this!!”

    Speaking of questions, even as I typed Merry Christmas to all of you, I wanted to know why merry, why not happy? And if you are like me, all I can say is do not go snooping on that www now.You will only get caught in its whirls, not that I did not enjoy it! As I think of this title, this very long snippet going out of orbit, about real orbits out there, planets and what not, I do feel as long as we have that goal of feeling centered or being centered drawn to that one center, just like the planets drawn to that sun – no matter what’s happening in our outer worlds, inner cores or neighboring worlds, we can all stay in orbit and bring joy to one another. There! I had to philosophize! Sigh!

    Seriously though, as we say bye to this 2020 and usher in a new year, let us all pray for health, wealth, and happiness for one another. A Happy 2021 everyone! Much love and joy to all of you!
     
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  2. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    You too Brutus! I got really worried about why you were under the influence of the gas even if it made you want to laugh. And then you say you underwent dental treatment. Have spent the last two weeks in and out of a dental clinic just for investigations. After which the good lady wants to do an oral rehabilitition for me. She thinks my jaw does not close well, she does not like the fact that I clench my teeth to the point of wearing them out ..... But after the last session, I am sure even my 4 vanished wisdom teeth have left enough wisdom in me, not to give in to her wishes
    1. during Corona times or
    2. ever.

    Now coming to your question about why 'merry' and not 'happy'. "Merry" gives a certain license to reach that state through means natural or artificial. I suppose laughing gas and a few pegs would be categorized under the later means leading to said state, while 'happiness' would be what we are told should be our 'natural' state, right?

    So on that note, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. (A merry state throughout the year would be rather concerning, wouldn't it? So a bit of both degrees.)
     
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  3. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Was thinking of you yesterday, Srama. My son and I have this tradition that on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve we walk, bike or drive to all his past schools including preschools. One of them has huge open spaces that have been taken over by people flying drones and remote control planes. Yesterday, we saw a woman there, confidently assembling her plane, giving it a smooth take-off, efficient maneuvering while it was up in the blue sky, and then a graceful landing. The other flight aficionados seemed to instinctively give her the airspace she deserved. : ) Like, how people make way for someone on the ground, they made way for her in air. I half thought people would clap or something when the plane landed, but maybe she had a business like or focused look, or most hands were holding plane remotes, that only muted ooh and aah's serenaded the plane's arrival and departures. She had her car's hood open, I said to my son looks like her car needs repair.. he looks at me patiently and resignedly, and says the hood is up to charge the plane batteries. : )

    The question from the assistant before taking the x-ray, 'any chance you are pregnant?' for some reason never fails to crack me up, without any laughing gas. The dentist sees young kids too, looks like, and has board books within hands-reach of the examination chair. The assistants keep changing, but the dentist has been around for 20 years. We actually manage quite a long conversation even as she introduces each instrument verbally before poking it into my mouth.
    This year I am simply going with Merry Christmas. Being politically correct can wait. Something about the decorations with the nativity/manger scene has been specially reassuring to watch each evening this past few days.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's to health, wealth and happiness!
     
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  4. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear Satchi,

    So nice to see you here especially with a response to this snippet. Yeah me too! Tell me Satchi who is spared of a dentist? I wonder how dentists feel about other dentists!

    That indeed is the wisdom of those once present wisdom teeth - even the remnants help :)

    Now, I do have to tell you I quite enjoyed reading up about all the merry and happy differences and spent a good hour doing so.
    I was all excited about sharing the information with my students much to the amusement of DD who thinks I make a project about everything!

    Thank you for your wishes. I did have a warm Christmas day on this very cold winter day! Happy New Year!
     
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  5. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    Would love to know the differences you found, Sabitha!
     
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  6. Srama

    Srama Finest Post Winner

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    Dear @Rihana,

    It really warms my heart when you say you thought of me Rihana, especially in relation to nature or planes. Thank you! Women I tell you , we are way stronger than we give ourselves credit for! I can very well imagine that woman doing her thing while the rest of the world watched. Did I ever tell you that when I skydove (I believe dive and ove can be used in past tense...dove made more sense to me :)), my tandem was a woman and the number of hours she had! It blew my mind away! Talking of traditions. I really don't seem to have any with my kids. Now that DD is all grown up, she has decided to take over including the gift wrapping part :) That is such a cute thing you do with your son!

    Dentists and the assistants, less said the better I guess :) I stall my treatments as much as I can but then there are times even when I have to simply give in.....

    I have never been known to be politically correct. One time, I remember DH asking me to talk with an uncle about something because it is so easy for me to be straight forward :dizzy: So, no matter what, I have wished people a merry Christmas, sometimes startling them! I also have a friend who makes her son make a card for me for every Deepavali for she feels we don't get to celebrate our festivals like a national holiday! Her son of course gives to me with a "mom made ,me do this...again!" Talk about being straight forward!

    Thank you as always for responding Rihana! Happy 2021 to all of you! Love,
     
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  7. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Sabita,
    A beautiful snippet from a visit to dentist!!! That too leading to earth, orbit and high philosophy of life!!!! Only you can do it!
    Best sentence is opening the mouth for one hour without speaking a word!!! Only a dentist can do it!!!
    Happy and corona free new year.
    Syamala
     
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  8. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: When Mother Yashoda demanded the naughty boy-Lord to open the mouth, Bala kanaka opened His mouth. Looking into the gaped mouth, Yashoda saw the universe - the viswaroopa - and fainted. With wide open mouth lord did see flights of asuras.

    Here you opened the mouth and under compelling circumstances to keep it gaped for over an hour and that woman dentist could see her world and applied her wisdom to extract tooth out of its dwelling.

    A dentist felt her words are repeated by the patient in that dentist chair. So she told her not to repeat her words. The patient responded to this later that the doctor’s words were not repeated but echoed in her mouth.

    Laughing gas, stiffened jaws helped you to flights in space filled with childhood nostalgia. Very merrily conceived and posted on the eve of x mas.

    Wonky teeth that were extracted left you with enriched wisdom that reflected in this snippet.

    I agree the distinction that Merry could be induced with ale & drinks while happiness is state of mind.

    God bless.
     
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  9. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    When you have tasted flight, watching Saturn flirt with Jupiter, what is the point in crashing down into a Dentist's clinic.?. Personally, I would rather go to Dracula's castle than to the dentist. The only time I have been to a Dentist was accompanying DW She said dentists are not that bad as after a root canal treatment, they ask you to go and have ice cream. Now, I don't need an excuse liek root canal treatment to have an icecream Dentists may b nice guys but I have heard horror stories. A relative of mine fainted when he saw blood on the pulled out tooth of his DW. So I must have been quite brave as I remained conscious rooted to my seat when DW was in the dentist's chair
     
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  10. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

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    :hello: a joke is appropriate here.
    Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking, "surely I can't look that old.".

    Well . . . you'll love this one..The stuff is from a lady

    "My name is Archana. I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist.
    I noticed his BDS degree on the wall, which bore his full name.
    Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 25-odd years ago.

    Could he be the same guy that I had a secret crush on, way back then?

    Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate.

    After he examined my teeth,
    I asked him if he had attended St Xavier's high school.
    "Yes. yes, I did.' he gleamed with pride.
    "When did you graduate?" I asked.
    He answered, "In 1987. Why do you ask?"
    "You were in my class!", I exclaimed.
    He looked at me closely.
    Then, that ugly, old, bald,
    wrinkled faced, gray-haired,
    decrepit, idiot, asked,

    "What subject did you teach then?"
     
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