My Part

Today was a big day for my dental student, Shervin, and he was a success.

Ever since my case was accepted for treatment he's been studying, examining, testing, and doing dentist type things while producing his plans for treatment. Today he introduced me -- or, more correctly, the case I present -- to a team of doctors and gave them his educated opinion. I pretty much sat there with my mouth open, wishing I were dead.

I'd known about this presentation for quite some time since Shervin had been talking about it quite a bit. I'd expected, for some reason, it to be in an auditorium setting with a panel, but it was far worse than that for me. I was in a normal dental chair in a typical cubicle in the dental college, surrounded by the yellow-gowned doctors who instruct the students.

I consider my teeth to be my biggest flaw, and the worst part of any dental visit is sitting there exposed. I can't describe it any better than that, to have my most shameful property under examination. I just keep repeating Lord Byron's line: "All my faults perchance thou knowest" -- I feel that exposed and ashamed.

Anyway, the dentists all listened, looked, poked around, and talked about me as if I wasn't there and agreed with what Shervin's assessment. Another visit next Tuesday.

In other news I think it's a mistake to think we can discover either justice or the truth based on who argues better.