My stepson and his friend came over yesterday, and we had a great time. Soon after they got there, I heard the friend say something about having had braces when he was in sixth grade. I asked him, "You had braces?" He said yes. I asked him a few questions about his, and he and my stepson expressed some morbid curiosity about mine. I could tell they were simultaneously thinking "sucks to be her" and "glad it's not me!"
They both have gorgeous teeth!
They definitely are not mean-spirited whatsoever; we all had a laugh together at me discussing my teeth with a coworker, also in braces, and showing each other our teeth's progress in front of other coworkers. Stepson cracked up at that one: the idea of two adults at work showing each other their teeth
It was a great topic of conversation for a while. I told them about people's horror stories with head gear that I've read about online- specifically, a blog I found by a guy who, in high school, was wired into his headgear (could not take it off for school). We all laughed in reverent horror of that, all thankful with the "glad it's not me" feeling
and feeling bad for the guy!
I told them I wore headgear as a kid, but not in public. They were shocked that I had it. Even though I didn't wear it in public (very often
...I liked the shock appeal), they were obviously jolted at the idea that I had it at all.
It's funny to me how people react to orthodontics, but I don't mind laughing with them, trying to get in their mind with them to see it how they do. I just feel bad for anyone missing out on all this fun!
Stepson's friend tried to console me (though I don't need any consolation...I love my braces), saying, "Almost everybody gets braces. It's normal." He is so sweet!
