Monday, April 01, 2013

Adjustments in Life

The Doctor and the Doll
by Norman Rockwell

All my life I have had dentists, optometrists and doctors who were much older, and it was a source of confidence and comfort when I was younger. After my dentist, a military veteran, retired,  it amused me to see the young dentist who took over his practice,  looks like an 18-year-old. I am sure he is much older than that, but from my vantage, he looks very young.  He is very capable, though. 

 I do miss the stories of my previous dentist, who always had something to say about his experience in the military. He once described it as "hours and hours of sheer uneventful quiet, punctuated by sudden spurts of terror."  I smiled and answered, "That sounds like being a mother!"

I told this young dentist that I had to come in regularly to see if he was growing any older, since I see no signs of age.

I left a good review on the web after my last appointment. I had been quite apprehensive because it was serious surgery and I was relieved that it went well.  Later, when he and his wife saw my husband in the grocery store he told him that if I had any pain or any complications from my recent dental surgery, to be sure and come back in to his office.  Maybe he read my review.

It is still taking some adjustment on my part, to the new kids coming up in the professional world. I do admit they are expert in what they do and besides that, have the advantage of the latest technology and discoveries in the medical world.

The Rockwell painting of the doll doctor, reminds me of a relative who went into the doll-repair business. He and his wife had a little shop, where they repaired and sold old dolls they bought, many of them valuable antiques.  He wore a white jacket with a name tag, which said "D.D.S."  meaning, "doctor of doll surgery.  He replaced many an eye and fixed numerous joints on the jointed dolls, and even replaced hair.  

One day he had to visit his mother-in-law who was in the hospital, so he left right after work, wearing his jacket and doll surgery name tag.  As he left her hospital room and was walking down a long hall, someone stopped him and asked him if he would check on their mother, too.  He said he would, and he did. Someone who was also visiting asked him to visit someone else on the same floor of that hospital. He had a hard time getting out of there because people thought he was a "real" doctor.

9 comments:

lynn maust said...

Lydia...here are the words to a song my Irish great grandmother taught us all as children: It' a joy!

Oh I had a little dolly who was sick, sick, sick.
So, I sent for the doctor, quick, quick, quick.
Oh, the doctor he came with a rap, tap, tap....and he came with his cane and he came with his cap.
And he looked at my dolly and then shook his head...
And said you must put her to bed, bed, bed.
You must keep her very warm, and very, very still....
And when I call tomorrow,...won't 'ya please pay my bill!

Lillibeth said...

lynn maust, that is a cute poem!

Mrs. Price said...

I understand. I am younger than you, but seeing doctors my age and younger is still a shock. The woman who delivered both of my sons is my age.
Lynn: That was a very cute poem. Thank you for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Years ago I had to see a doctor and mine was not in that day. The doctor who they assigned me to looked like he might be 18. He had a doctors coat on and in a doctor's office and Was a doctor...yet he looked all of 18 had black and whit saddle oxfords on and was blowing bubbles with his bubble gum!! I had to blink and recompose myself but the advice he gave did make him sound doctorish!! :). He was the first terribly young looking doctor I had been introduced to. Since then many have come into my life and as I get older and older they seem to be younger and younger!!! :-) Sarah

Anonymous said...

My children have a pediatric dentist who is my age. When I first started taking my children to see him, we were both in our mid-30's and he looked very young for his age. He has turned out to be the absolute best dentist I could have ever asked for and I hope that someday, my grandchildren will go to him. That is not uncommon around here, for doctors to start young and treat multiple generations in a family.

Anonymous said...

This is somewhat off the main topic of your post but when I saw the Rockwell painting and read about your relative in the doll-repair business, it reminded me of a Little Golden Book entitled Mr.Bell's Fixit Shop by Ronne Peltzman, written in 1981. I used to read it to our four children many years ago and saved it to read to our grandchildren. A used copy is available online showing the cover but unfortunately you cannot see inside the book. It is a sweet story with sweet pictures!

Lynne

Christine said...

Thank you for posting about aging.
I too, am finding it seeing youngsters in technical jobs. What really gets me are firemen and policemen. They all look sooo young!

Will you write more of your thoughts on aging?

Anonymous said...

I can relate to your experience with the young looking dentist. I had one once and as he leaned in to look at my teeth I was checking to see if I could tell whether or not he was shaving yet! I even had an urge to ask: does your mother know you are here playing dentist? But as he began to work on my teeth, he and his assistant began to talk about his new baby that his wife had just had...so I had to admit to myself that he was indeed old enough to be a dentist, and it was my own aging that caused him to look so young. I still have alot of difficulty figuring out people's ages.

Lydia said...

That made me smile. All the people that help us are getting younger!!