“Our memory is a more perfect world than the universe: it gives back life to those who no longer exist.”
Today is glorious. The high will be around 70˚. The humidity has disappeared. From my den window I can see the leaves in the oak tree are dappled by sunlight and gently blowing. I’m glad I have to go out today.
When I was a kid, we went to the dentist when we had a tooth ache and to the doctor if we had medical stuff. I remember going to the doctor’s office after I fell down the stairs when I was around 10 or 11. His office was right beside my school yard. It was in a huge old house and was on the first floor. We, my mother and I, sat on wooden chairs outside his office waiting for our turn. I remember his desk was in front of the windows. I also remember a skeleton beside his desk. I hoped it wasn’t real. The doctor was a huge man. Mostly I remember his belly. He washed my gash, the reason we went there. He wasn’t gentle. He said no stitches as it was already infected. I couldn’t have been happier.
I hated the dentist from open your mouth to the novocain to the drill. I only went if I had a tooth ache. Peace Corps changed that. I had to have any tooth issues solved before I left for Ghana. I found a dentist in Lawrence. My father verified he’d play the bill, and we were off. It took at least three appointments. At staging in Philadelphia, I had my dental check before we left. My guy had done a great job. My teeth passed. They would still pass now.
My town used to have a hospital, the New England Sanitarium and Hospital. It was on the Fells, the Middlesex Fells Reservation. It was where I was born. I remember nurses taking the bus I used to take to get to the skating rink. The bus stop was in front of the nursing houses which were beautiful and made out of stone. I remember the white porches in front of all the houses. The nurses were proper with white dresses and stiff white hats.
I drove by the hospital on one of memory rides. It was abandoned and covered in graffiti. I found out it had been empty and abandoned for over 20 years.
My memory rides always see what was, what used to be.
Explore posts in the same categories: Musings
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
June 17, 2020 at 12:00 am
We had a nice pediatrician. Every time I went to the dentist he would remark that I looked just like my aunt when she was little. I don’t recall anything else.
Oh, one time while waiting for the bus, with about 5 other children they were throwing dirt rocks at each other and one hit me. I started crying and as children will do they laughed at me.
But then there was blood, and I went to the house by the stop, and she called my mom.
My mom came and got me and took me to a local doctor.
He had to give me a shot for tetanus shot. I burst into tears again, and he said some thing like stop crying like a cow– which I never understood.
As far as the dentist, when my parents decided I needed braces– that was a thing in those days. I hated the entire experience.
Now I hate my ex- dentist. He really should pay for what he did to me. Even though he sold the company, I still get a $200 bill from the new company.
It was lovely day today. When I went to take the garbage out, I found the house in front of me had been rented to really nice people.
It felt good to talk to another human.
Take Care,
Meow and Woof to your kids,
Lori and Cookie
June 17, 2020 at 1:32 am
Lori,
I didn’t like the dentist I ended up with when I was a kid. He never used novocaine. The pain was awful. The one I chose in college was good. He did a great job. What did you get hit with which meant a tetanus shot? That didn’t happen to me. I guess they knew I’d retaliate. Actually, I never saw anybody get hit. I didn’t like braces much either.
It stayed lovely all day here.