I was in the dentist’s chair today discussing how well we all survived my last visit two months ago. I had a crown placed on the very last tooth in the back of the top of my mouth. If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not list this location as one of the most hazardous work sites in America it should, because the stretching, reaching and bending into positions not usually seen by professionals was impressive. Picture Cirque du Soleil performing in your refrigerator. That’s kind of how it was.
Along with that nostalgic trip down Memory Lane Dr. Dell’Uomo said it’s a funny thing, but a difficult job like that comes in bunches. In 25 years of practice Dell’Uomo has seen it again and again. He gets two or three of those tough cases in a week but doesn’t get another for a month or two. I was not at all surprised to hear that. But why?
It’s subtle, but life does this all over the place. How many times have you heard celebrities die in threes? When one famous person passes on you know number two and three will follow quickly. It’s a fait accompli. Not “maybe” just “when”.
My phone is another example, albeit a trivial one. It can be strangely silent for half the day, but when I do take or make a call, two, three or four more come in during the ten minute conversation, like a force field of sudden interest in me. I wouldn’t have thought a thing of it once or twice, but it happens so consistently that I now joke about it.
Perhaps it’s related to the study published last year that said happiness is not only determined by the happiness of your friends, but by their friends, and their friend’s friends. Our own happiness the researchers said, is less affected by a spouse than by the friends of the spouse, and by neighbors, whether we have any contact with those people or not. It makes absolutely no sense, yet I don’t doubt that it’s true.
Is it metaphysics? The Mirriam-Webster Dictionary defines this as:
“the physical study of the ultimate causes and underlying nature of things”.
It doesn’t precisely cover it, but my interpretation is if you can’t explain something that keeps happening, chalk it up to metaphysics. Or just find a party of 11-year olds and get out a Ouija Board.
Do you have metaphysics in your life? What keeps happening to you that you can’t explain?
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Mo,
Happiness derived from those next to you is, indeed, metaphysics in the strict classical sense. The title “metaphysics” was (according to my ancient philosophy professors at Assumption College) first coined to classify those texts by Aristotle coming after, or NEXT from, his works on Physics.
I hope this adds somewhat to your happiness…
Mr. Rodman
Hi Maureen,
Like your dentist, my husband & I are health care professionals – he’s an Emergency Med. Physician & I have my MPT (Physical Therapy), but am currently a full-time SAHM. We have both experienced this phenomenon regularly in our careers. For me, a patient presents with a rare injury, and then I’ll see it 2 more times in the next week or so, and not again for a year or more. For my husband it might be a night of one type of trauma (GSWs) or another (MVAs), over & over again. They joke in the ER that it gets worse with a full moon, so perhaps you should add that to your survey – kidding!
Oh, and like you, I experience that phone thing too — no calls all day, then I go to make a call, and it’s like everyone we know starts calling us.
Anyway, I appreciate the new entry at this hour – as a distraction from my insomnia, but speaking of the dentist before bed just will not help me sleep – it’s the stuff nightmares are made of for me!
Off to cuddle with my old “pup”. Have a great night or morning, whatever the case might be
Mr. Rodman, thank you for writing. Anything taught at Assumption, just one mile from my little Notre Dame Academy on Salisbury Street in Worcester, is a bonus for me.
Cathy, I’m happy to hear from you again and you are the first person to share the “phone thing”. Strange, isn’t it? I’m sure the full moon is an established phenomenon. I think police officers say trouble accompanies the full moon too. So sorry to introduce thoughts of the dentist’s chair in the middle of the night, however it’s not what it used to be. I actually like going to see mine. Go figure.
Good Mornin Maureen, This one took some thought. I’ve got it now. I put gas in my car every Monday if I don’t I always run out on Tuesday. My life must be in a rut. Not really but worth a smile!
Many years ago, I worked in a small nursing home. It never made sense, but the patients always did pass away in threes. In my present position, a certain issue will tend to dominate a particularly. Today could be “Dentists’ Day” and tomorrow could be something totally different. With thousands of clients, it is amazing that they tend to call with similar problems on a particular day!
So Pat, you see it too! Interesting. Thanks.
Metaphysics, priceless. I had a ton of dental work done when I was your age and I love your description. I used to say it was like having a jackhammer, hose and something else in your mouth at the same time. As for events happening in threes, I do agree. Definitely celebrities. We just spent an awesome day at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. We were with my friend’s daughter who is a home school teacher. This area includes a beautiful home on Sarasota Bay, an Art Museum with paintings of the 1500′s, minature museum of the circus world. We were there from 11 to 6 and walked all day. We are tired but, a good tired. My Dad’s cousin joined the Ringling Circus as a Clown and worked up to be Manager of Personnel. As children we got to see the circus, anytime they were near Binghamton, N.Y. When Ringling came to Syracuse, I just had to take my grandchildren on 2 different occasions. If anyone on this Blog is near Sarasota, it is definitely worth the time and price. As for weather, we get one good beach day and then rain, a lot of wind and cold weather. They call it ElNino. I don’t have to shovel or scrape my car but will be ready to endure the end of winter in Syracuse. Loved your hair blog. I’m with 2 blondes who brought supplies to do their hair. So glad Natalie is still with you. ENJOY. Carol
Carol, I’ve been in Sarasota but have not yet toured the Ringling Museum. I certainly will someday. Thanks for the description! And sorry to hear about your somewhat less-than-reliable Florida weather lately. At least we’re not in Philly and D.C.! Philly now has more snow this winter than Syracuse.