Detour

The light shown down as I looked up from m single inclined chair. I couldn't speak, looking like Hannibal Lechter, I wondered, the taste of latex strong in my mouth, what the hell? How did I get here? I'm afraid that I will swallow my tongue. I've heard of people doing that you know. Have you ever arrived at a place in life and not understood how you arrived at your destination. It reminds me of that first impromptu speech in college speach class. The professor looks at the room, all eyes disengage and find something more interesting upon which to gaze. And then it happens, you hear your name, or was that Snoopy's teacher? As you grasp your seat and try to stand, a certain uneasy feeling comes over you, your tongue is bigger than your mouth and surely you cannot speak. That is the feeling I felt this morning. I felt a twinge of pain in the lower portion of my jaw as I worked a double shift Thursday night. Now, truthfully, the pain had been there all day. I had just finished my 20th tylenol and as the bottle sat empty on my desk, I imagined that somehow, the pain was all in my head. Yep, it was, all in my head. I made it through the presentation, locked my desk drawer and walked out into the night and set out on my journey home. Upon reaching my destination, I entered my bedroom, where I could finally acknowledge the pain which had lived inside my mouth all day, causing me to look even more sarcastically at some unsuspecting individuals throughout the day. No, it wasn't that question you asked, or that assignment you didn't complete, my mouth is throbbing and I want you to go away, but you just kept on talking. I opened a new bottle of tylenol and vowed to go to the dentist in the morning. Now, keep in mind, I'd rather go to an OBGYN appointment than a dentist. I always leave in pain from the dentist. At 8:30 AM, I arrived at my destination, the dentist. I was hoping for more laughing gas and a very minor procedure. And then, he said it, ROOT CANAL! In my mind, I began counting the cost, financial, pain and mental anguish. Let me explain, I have used all of my dental benefit and it is only May. The rest of the cost, is on me! The person who usually administers the laughing gas was not there today, mental anguish and then, I saw the needle, pain! Then, they place these things in my mouth that make it impossible for me to speak. I want to talk, I want to ask questions. I want to run. I don't run. I remain under the bright light, unable to talk, hoping for the end to come quickly. Finally, the end arrives. I am allowed to exit the chair. My mouth is numb, my hair a mess and it is pouring down raining. I don't know how I arrived at this destination. This was not my plan. I had planned to get up this morning and go into work and complete some additional work on a project. But, as luck would have it, I had a detour. I find that I do better when there is a GPS available with the detour. I was never very good at reading a map. I am trying to learn to be more flexible and how to work without a plan. Sometimes, you have to plan on the fly. Spontaniety is not my strong point, but life is a good teacher and I am becoming a life long learner.