The Dentist

I am a nerd. I love going to the dentist. It isn't because I love to keep my teeth clean or I'm fascinated by drills, however. It is because I am friends with my hygienist, Ruth. 

Now, I didn't meet her independent from the dentist. I met here there. 

See, I am a nerd.

However, I have lots of great stories about how I met my friends. Let me tell you a few...these are true. 

I met my friend Emily because I was early for a math placement test at EWU.

Jo was a guest pianist at a college class I was taking.

I met Sarah at a bridal shower (while playing pin the garter on the bride).

Corrie and I met while she oriented me to the gym at Taylor.

Alex and I became friends at Blockbuster (he worked there) we once attended Midnight Mass together.

I could go on...but I won't.

Anyway, Ruth makes the dentist a social event. Instead of dreading having someone poking around in my mouth (like many people apparently do) I look on it as a chance to catch up with a good friend. 

Today, however, we decided that maybe seeing each other only once every six months might be detrimental to her job and my teeth. 

How many people do you know who have given their cell phone number to their dental hygienist? 

Well, you know me.

Ruth isn't just someone who performs a service. She isn't a check-mark or a sticker with a smiling tooth on it. She's a person, and she is my friend. We actually know what is going on in each others' lives for the most part. 

As Kim (my bank teller) and Alex and Ric (my favorite blockbuster guys) and Jennifer and Marilyn (the library system I didn't work for) can all tell you, I make friends in strange places.

Think about that next time you go to the dentist.