The Dentist

In this episode - The Dentist . . .

Ok, let's just fess up and be honest - you hate going to the dentist! Why? Here's what happens. You wake up the day of your appointment with thoughts of "Oh NO, today is the day!" Your stomach starts to churn; your nerves are on edge; what are they putting me through today? With trepidation, you bravely move forward.

To calm yourself, you tend to your daily routine: breakfast, shave, shower, brush your teeth, floss, and rinse. Then you hop into the car, make the drive, and check-in at the reception desk. Unknowingly your blood pressure starts to rise. You're called into the examination room and slide into the dental chair. Then your mind starts racing.

Here's the reality - we all have horrible memories that cause you to start squirming in the chair. Try to eliminate those bad experiences; those memories become the forefront of your thoughts. The one that stands out for me was circa 1962, in Dr. Sandercock's office in Abington, Illinois. Our family dentist needed to drill out a cavity; he assured me, "No needles, he could do this without Novocain. Close your eyes, open wide," the drill starts to whine - then POW! He hits the nerve. My entire body lurched in the chair.

"Did you plug me into an electric outlet!?"

After that, I don't remember anything the dentist said or what he did. I just wanted out of there! Can you relate?

Subsequently, every time I enter a dentist's office, smell the unique smells and hear the whine of a dentist's drill, my entire body tenses up, just waiting to be plugged in. Like you and your experience, that memory (pain) is burned into my psyche.

Rest assured, this podcast is not about the pain inflicted by a terrible dentist but what happens when you find a competent one. It takes time to find your dentist. After trying out a few, I was lucky to find the dentist I now visit faithfully. Not to relive the drill experience but for preventative maintenance, cleanings, and check-ups.

I'll admit, recently, we had a 25-year-old crown replaced, and I didn't feel a thing! And I'm here to sell you - because it starts with a skilled, friendly dental hygienist. Don't underestimate the value of such a qualified, reassuring individual. Mine is a Gem! And as you can see from the photo, practices safe habits.

Do I still get nervous sitting in the dental chair? I sure do! I'm afraid that horrible experience will always be with me. But practicing the daily habits my hygienist prescribes has kept me from experiencing the sting of that drill for many years now.

And if you're good, you receive a treat - not candy, but a new toothbrush with a travel-sized tube of toothpaste, floss dispenser, Chapstick, and a big smile from her.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Night Before Christmas

I n this episode, Night Before Christmas . . . (In the spirit of Edgar Albert Guest) I’ve wrestled with the tangled lights the way I always do— With just enough patience left to see the project through. I climb the ladder carefully; the years have taught me how. To take my time with every step and keep a steady brow. We hang the faded ornaments I’ve known since I was small, the chipped, the cracked, the tilted ones—I love them best of all. Santa’s lost a bit of paint, the stars’ leaning right, but oh, it casts a holy glow across the room tonight. The kitchen hums with activity, with laughter, and with cheer, as voices drift like echoes from a long-forgotten year. The floor is strewn with paper scraps, the clock is ticking slow, As Christmas finds its own sweet pace and sets our house aglow. The hallway grows a little still; the lights are dimmed, and low, Small shoes are lined in messy pairs to wait for morning’s snow. The fire's warm, the room is full, the world is deep and wide,...

Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way

🎩 In this special episode. How to Un-Work the Old-Fashioned Way It’s 2026! Yes— this is the year! A different kind of start—you feel it right here? No lists! No demands! No fix-all-your-flaws! No “New You by Tuesday!” No rules! No laws! Those resolutions? Bah! Dusty and dry! We’ve tried fixing everything —so let’s ask why. Why rush and correct and improve and compare, When noticing quietly gets you right there ? So here’s a new project—no charts, no clocks, No boxes to check in your mental inbox. It’s bigger than busy and smaller than grand, It’s called Un-Working —now give me your hand! Un-Working’s not quitting or hiding away, It’s setting things down that shout “Hurry! Hey!” The hustle! The bustle! The faster-than-fast! The gotta-win-now or you’re stuck in the past! That’s the work of Un-Working— plop! —set it free! The titles! The labels! The “Look-At-Me!” The crown that kept sliding and pinching your head— You never looked comfy . . . let’s try this instead: Pick up a tel...

The Thought Experiment–Revisited

In this episode. The Thought Experiment–Revisited The Boy on a Light Beam In 1895, a sixteen-year-old boy did something we rarely allow ourselves to do anymore. He stared into space and let his mind wander. No phone. No notes. No “Optimization Hacks” for his morning routine. Just a question: What would happen if I chased a beam of light—and actually caught it? That boy was Albert Einstein . And that single act of curiosity—a Gedankenexperiment , a thought experiment—eventually cracked open Newton’s tidy universe and rearranged our understanding of time itself. Not bad for an afternoon of daydreaming. Imagine if Einstein had been “productive” instead. He would have logged the light-beam idea into a Notion database, tagged it #CareerGrowth, and then promptly ignored it to attend a forty-five-minute “Sync” about the color of the departmental logo. He’d have a high Efficiency Score—and we’d still be stuck in a Newtonian universe , wondering why the Wi-Fi is slow. In a post I wrote back in...

Boy on a Beam

In this special bonus episode, Boy on a Beam. In a world long ago, when the days moved quite slow, Before buzzes and beeps and the fast things we know, A boy sat quite still on a very fine day, Just staring at nothing . . . and thinking away. No tablets! No gadgets! No screens shining bright! No earbuds stuck in from morning till night. No lists, no charts, and no chores to be done. He just sat there thinking—that's quiet-time fun! His name was Young Albert. He sat in his chair, Thinking of things that weren’t really there. “Suppose,” said Young Albert, with eyes open wide, “I ran super fast with my arms by my side! Suppose I ran faster than anyone knew, And caught up to sunshine that zoomed past me—too! If I hopped on its back for a light-speedy ride, What secrets would I find tucked away deep inside?” “Would stars look like sprinkles, all shiny and small? Would UP feel like sideways? Would BIG feel like Tall?” He giggled and wondered and thought, and he dreamed, Till his head fel...

On The Fly

Search This Blog