tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post4818566879477121397..comments2024-03-28T23:06:10.904-04:00Comments on Bless Our Hearts: Power And Powerlessness, Despair And HopeMs. Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09776404747858099919noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-15587632923604579452013-08-29T22:10:53.927-04:002013-08-29T22:10:53.927-04:00The Bug- I am old enough to know that I will have ...The Bug- I am old enough to know that I will have days like that. <br /><br />Madame Rebecca- Yeah. This kind of shit is not to be tolerated and I wish I'd gone crazy ass on the woman but I did not. Please feel free to be sweary here anytime you want but you already know that. Ms. Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09776404747858099919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-1437478153732229202013-08-29T18:21:04.760-04:002013-08-29T18:21:04.760-04:00ps. Still dental phobic after all these years the ...ps. Still dental phobic after all these years the both of us.Radish Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534752971317927559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-52236705277219829512013-08-29T18:20:18.325-04:002013-08-29T18:20:18.325-04:00Fucking fuck. Sorry to be late to the cake here. W...Fucking fuck. Sorry to be late to the cake here. When Page was six he had to have a tooth pulled that was growing on top of another tooth. Very deep and painful. He cried after and the assistant said STOP CRYING BE A LITTLE MAN and I raked her over the fucking coals I had a fit and yes they didn't want me in there with them but they could see I had the crazy eyes and I'm glad I forced my way in anyway. Fucking fuck. I love you.<br />Rebecca-The-SwearyRadish Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06534752971317927559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-90485959246762394262013-08-29T15:53:16.659-04:002013-08-29T15:53:16.659-04:00There was a lot of truth here, but this is the par...There was a lot of truth here, but this is the part I like best: "My wings are hidden tonight. That does not mean they are not there." Amen!The Bughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07509037206264761261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-68617591911912842352013-08-29T15:01:14.661-04:002013-08-29T15:01:14.661-04:00A- I think you are probably right.
SJ- I've ...A- I think you are probably right. <br /><br />SJ- I've always said that I've only ever known a few "real" Christians. Jimmy Carter, although I do not really "know" him, is one of them. Top of the list.<br />I was too angry to cry in the office. Still angry.<br /><br />Birdie- You're right. And I seethed all night and just wrote a letter. <br /><br />Ellen Abbott- I have always hated my ability to be completely cowed by doctors. I'm better than I used to be but not much. I think this is why I do not go to them unless it's absolutely necessary.<br /><br />Elizabeth- Aren't they beautiful? <br /><br />Betsy- I'm glad you DID write me? And you know what? It's always, ALWAYS a pleasure and often a joy for me to write here. Is that crazy?<br /><br />Sweet Jo- I pointed out that fact in my letter about four times- that the procedure was done and so was her part in any of it. Yeah. She was way out of line.<br /><br />N2- Honestly, I think this is a good dental practice. I took all of my kids there and now the son of the dentist my kids saw also practices there. But one bad apple...<br /><br />Angella- True on all points. Thank-you, m'am. <br /><br />Jill- If she'd tried that shit with an adult, she would have been fired and sued. <br /><br />Syd- I agree with you. And I, too, hope that what that woman did affected Lily and me more than it did Owen. He'd certainly never been touched or talked to that way in his life. <br /><br />Yobobe- Yes. We have to have darkness in order to be aware of the light, I guess. <br />And my stomach is still hurting.<br /><br />heartinhand- Who knows? Lily may end up changing dentists. I hope it doesn't come to that. Let's see what the response to my letter is.<br />And yes, change is slow and patience is hard.<br /><br />Lisa- It is easier for the dentist and his assistants because yeah, kids will keep their feelings inside when family members aren't around. I addressed that in my letter too. Fucked up shit.<br /><br />Birdie- We'll see what happens.<br /><br />Ms. Bastard-Beloved- I love you too, and you know it.<br /><br />Steve Reed- When you think about it, she was the very definition of a bully. She used her larger size and her position to bully Owen. I pointed that out in the letter too. <br />I agree with you about Carter. He wasn't wily enough to be president. <br />Some people I despise. Okay, a few. And I'm not embarrassed about it, either. But I don't think that's what Carter was talking about. Probably some Biblical definition.<br /><br />Jo- I'm torn on that issue. Yes, if the child wants mama or daddy to accompany them, I think they should be allowed without a fight but on the otherhand, it is one step in the child learning to be okay without a family member always around. You know, Owen's never been taken care of by anyone but family except for a few Sunday mornings in his other grandmother's church nursery. It was just a real fucked-up situation.<br /><br />Ms. Moonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09776404747858099919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-62033232095890232422013-08-29T13:52:55.808-04:002013-08-29T13:52:55.808-04:00What the fuck? Do not go back to that dentist. All...What the fuck? Do not go back to that dentist. All the dentists we've been to, and that's quite a lot at this stage, let the mothers sit right there. Find someone else. That's ridiculous. Remove your custom. Take it elsewhere! Ugh! I'm infuriated for you. <br /><br />And, um, I guess be careful with juice and sweets too! Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08988685736635515808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-19797436561693200322013-08-29T13:35:44.559-04:002013-08-29T13:35:44.559-04:00OK, having read this, I completely understand why ...OK, having read this, I completely understand why you wrote to complain about the hygienist. (Do they still call them hygienists?) Threatening to take back the toy was her principle offense, as I see it, but then I wasn't there.<br /><br />Jimmy Carter is truly a leader among leaders. I think he was just too honest to be a completely effective president at the time he was elected, and it's troubling that there's such a thing as a man too honest to be president.<br /><br />And why is anyone despised, really? I'm sure I despise people too, probably without completely knowing it, but at least I feel a little embarrassed about it.Steve Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11684120060438252945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-5218082064050117532013-08-29T13:07:08.917-04:002013-08-29T13:07:08.917-04:00This is a GREAT post, and what President Carter sa...This is a GREAT post, and what President Carter said was FANTASTIC, as usual.<br /><br />And you didn't tell me about Owen, and I am pissed off, too! I share your indignation, your ire. THAT BITCH!<br /><br />Love you so,<br /><br />SBSarcastic Bastardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116577711704241625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-27965458695454480562013-08-29T12:11:02.424-04:002013-08-29T12:11:02.424-04:00I know it is the next day but I am still angry abo...I know it is the next day but I am still angry about that dental assistant. What she did was emotional abuse. Everyone has a right to feel whatever they are feeling without being threatened. I hope that woman faces some sort of disciplinary action for what she did. <br /><br />OK, I am done now. Birdiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03479872783727855901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-75532666588922379792013-08-29T11:48:11.356-04:002013-08-29T11:48:11.356-04:00I didn't even know that could be a thing, to n...I didn't even know that could be a thing, to not let the parents be in with the dentist and the child. Ugh. So sorry for the tiny man.<br /><br />I love your ability, as a writer, to tie in your life with events of the larger world. What a gift you have.<br /><br />xoxoLisa Page Rosenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10959648783502475353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-47864470937400362272013-08-29T09:48:59.042-04:002013-08-29T09:48:59.042-04:00Lily needs to find another dentist. Seriously, as ...Lily needs to find another dentist. Seriously, as someone who was traumatized at the dentist (as an adult, no less) it can be downright crippling for him if he isn't met with compassion and understanding at the dentist. Lily should make a point to mention it to the front staff or the dentist because the assistants are the backbone of his is sorely lacking.<br /><br />I'm always saddened when I see footage from the 60s, the King speech, JFK, the civil rights movement. You'd think America would be further along in this evolution (not to say that Canada is any more evolved). Change is slow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-72409716056951971202013-08-29T07:45:02.964-04:002013-08-29T07:45:02.964-04:00I agree with Elizabeth, Owen and his Dad are gorge...I agree with Elizabeth, Owen and his Dad are gorgeous and it is a fucked up world....<br />it's also a beautiful world with beautiful people and that alone right there makes a difference. The sweet and the sour, the dark and the light.They define each other. <br />love,<br />yo<br />ps that dental assistant story made my stomach hurt.plantingalongtheverge.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13899341805908954700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-64677471004899950472013-08-29T07:39:19.605-04:002013-08-29T07:39:19.605-04:00Standing up for the despised and the oppressed is ...Standing up for the despised and the oppressed is a noble thing. I think that Owen was oppressed right there in the office. I hope that he won't remember it but those kinds of unpleasant events have a way of staying in the brain for decades. I can still recall many from my childhood. Sometimes these things come right out of the blue, just as it did in that office, and other times they are premeditated and designed to demoralize and devastate. No matter what, it's good to stand up at those moments and be counted. Sydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05642843245634635843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-24047037262393462912013-08-29T07:04:16.272-04:002013-08-29T07:04:16.272-04:00You wrote so much here I don't have the words ...You wrote so much here I don't have the words in me today to respond but know I heard you.<br /><br />I'd have wanted to bop that dental assistant a good one. In fact I DO want to bop her a good one hearing what she did. Pisses me off.Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06671446238805535547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-73140812859507490692013-08-29T03:34:24.201-04:002013-08-29T03:34:24.201-04:00That dental assistant should be brought to the att...That dental assistant should be brought to the attention of the dentist. What she did was not okay. And Owen's daddy is clearly a wonderful daddy. The photo says it all. 37paddingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400464105403622384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-68147167389327424252013-08-29T01:29:24.526-04:002013-08-29T01:29:24.526-04:00That dental assistant woman is despicable. She was...That dental assistant woman is despicable. She was seriously out of order. Of course he was scared getting his tooth drilled by himself at only 4 years-old, but he kept his fears in check until he saw his Mom. He had every right to express them, and she had No right to interfere in that.<br /><br />If I were Lily I would look for another dentist. If that is how an employee in that office is acting in front of a parent, it makes me wonder how she is behind closed doors.<br /><br />Owen is a beautiful, brave boy and deserves to be treated better than that. Hugs to all of you. x0 N2N2https://www.blogger.com/profile/09508740809219902631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-49016133613873777642013-08-29T01:05:50.041-04:002013-08-29T01:05:50.041-04:00How odd that that dental assistant thought she had...How odd that that dental assistant thought she had a right to intervene between a boy and his mother AFTER the dental procedure? I don't get it. I might have had to rip her hand off of him. It seems to me the toy was given for bravery DURING the procedure, which he definitely displayed. What an asshole! You are right, he should be fully allowed to feel what he feels. It is up to Lily and Jason to teach him about controlling his feelings as appropriate but he ISN't EVEN FOUR YEARS OLD! I am stuck there right now. Sweet JoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-55840362900303161402013-08-29T00:32:00.474-04:002013-08-29T00:32:00.474-04:00Oh man. I'm so sorry for brave little Owen, a...Oh man. I'm so sorry for brave little Owen, and I'm sorry that the world is the place where boys only four years old are told not to cry when they're sad, and I'm sorry about that hand on his shoulder. And it becomes the invisible hand. And I almost wrote you a long e-mail about how that's what we do -- plod along, one foot ahead of the other, thinking we're capable of better, but really? Is this it? And so on. <br />Thanks for writing every day, even if you don't feel like it. xoxoxo! (mouth kiss. :-)Betsy MacWhinneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14196224762137517300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-4684798946239364562013-08-28T23:39:26.897-04:002013-08-28T23:39:26.897-04:00God, it's a fucked up world. That's what I...God, it's a fucked up world. That's what I'm thinking today.<br /><br />But that Owen -- and his daddy -- are gorgeous.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03313726816776097840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-63357815248205115342013-08-28T22:52:47.262-04:002013-08-28T22:52:47.262-04:00Well, that was just downright truthful. I have al...Well, that was just downright truthful. I have always admired Jimmy Carter. And everything you said. <br /><br />When I took my children to the dentist, that is what they wanted too. No parents in the room and not telling them anything about what was going to happen. I refused. I will send my child in alone only after I have explained to them what is going to happen and the need for it. They could refuse. But armed with what to expect, they didn't.ellen abbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00535475792150335186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-47145067442396838702013-08-28T22:51:29.220-04:002013-08-28T22:51:29.220-04:00Are you fucking kidding me? That dental assistant ...Are you fucking kidding me? That dental assistant has some serious issues. Threatening a little boy? My dander is up just thinking about it. Those same people who told me that The Family Bed was wrong. A little child should not have to be separated from his parents in a scary and new situation. It makes it easier for the dentist and workers but not the child. Seriously, I am sitting here seething. <br /> <br />Birdiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03479872783727855901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-67788600967962511902013-08-28T22:19:42.758-04:002013-08-28T22:19:42.758-04:00Carter reminds me of that quote..."There are ...Carter reminds me of that quote..."There are christians. And there are Christians." <br /><br />That man is a true example.<br /><br />Obama's speechw as powerful. I too, cringed with Ms. King spoke.<br /><br />I only saw the back of the monument and the fringes of the crowd, as I drove home, but I felt the historical moment of all of it.<br /><br />PS -- I seriously fucking hate that dental hygienist too. I would have cried too, if I were Owen or you or Lilly.SJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14174193133138897712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2086296370004835655.post-66337140667586659522013-08-28T21:54:24.186-04:002013-08-28T21:54:24.186-04:00To empower and protect a person like my daughter, ...To empower and protect a person like my daughter, who can't speak or move, seems to me to be the last frontier of the struggle for basic human rights. <br /><br />And Owen is brave and beautiful.Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06318174928862120631noreply@blogger.com