The Dream Last night I had one of those dreams that are so close to reality that you really belive it's real. Because your brain knows exactly how to convince you that you do actually live in the mall and that getting to your orthodontist is as easy as turning right at the food court. In my dream, two of my teeth rotted out and simply fell off of their brackets. This left the wire vulnerable and it broke, but only in the front so I pulled the front part off revealing perfectly dazzling, straight, white teeth. Of course, there was a giant gap in my mouth where the rotted teeth should have been, but what I had looked AMAZING. I also managed to fit in a little shopping while I was at the mall/orthodontist/my house. The Reality No rotted teeth, no broken brackets, no bent wires. Two weeks officially down. 30-38 more to go. My orthodontist is awesome. He told me when he tells people the time frame he usually overestimates how long it will take. With me, he told me I could be done in as little as eight months, maybe ten. Seeing as how I'm only two weeks in and ready to be done, two months difference is a huge deal. That's the difference between May 23, and July 3rd. Between spring flowers and Independence Day. Between light jackets and swim suits. Between teeth white as snow and sun-bleached sand. The problem with telling a person like me time-frames like that, is that I always overachieve. If someone tells me it can't be done in 8 months, I aim for 7. That is, I would normally do that with normal situations that can be affected by things like persistance and ambition. I am hoping my sheer force of will affects how quickly this whole thing will be over, that all the 'good vibes' and 'happy thoughts' that I'm sending my teeth will pay off. We shall see. In the meantime.....and don't tell anyone, but....I'm kind of getting used to them. You know how when you imagine yourself in certain situations, you tend to see yourself in your best state? On more than one occasion recently, I've imagined myself in certain situations and without even prompting myself to remember, I've imagined me with braces. I no longer have to use the wax on a regular basis. My lips now fit securely around the braces and have even created room in front of them. They are now common place. After only two weeks, they are a part of me. And as expensive as they are and painful as they have been and will be, I actually feel more at peace knowing that I have them on now and that eight to ten months from now I won't be saying "dang, I wish I would have got my braces on eight months ago" like I am now. Peace of mind is worth it. Worth all of it.