I Really Like Coffee.

If you were to catch me during a layover in any airport in our great nation, you’ll probably notice that there is a cup of coffee in my hand. One of the perks of being a citizen of the richest country in the world is that you get to spend obscene amounts of money on a drink that seemingly has no nutritional value (of course, there are studies…right?). If you know me, then you know that there’s always coffee in my house, and if there is not then there is probably a Gene in your local coffee house.

Enter: Dr. Kim, my dentist.

My next check up is actually in about two months. As far as teeth go, I’m somewhat healthy. I have a few fillings, but they’re all from my fat and sugar-laden childhood trek towards obesity (which, I believe, was broken in college).

In any case, Dr. Kim loves to remind me that my teeth could always be two things: whiter and straighter.

Ergo, he tries to sell me the two things United Health Care won’t pay for: Zoom Laser Whitening and Braces.

The context: Dr. Kim is a younger guy. He sort of works in an urbane setting (for those of you who are familiar, his office is set sort of between Highland Park, Lakeview, and Forest Park off of Clairmont Ave.). All of the ladies in his office are young people. Every room of “operations” has a flat screen television for your viewing enjoyment (or listening, since I can’t very well see anything when two hands are crammed into my mouth and my head is tilted back).

Dr. Kim sees this specimen of young man walk in, and of course he probably thinks, “This guy lives in the richest country in the world. He probably has expendable income that he uses to buy obscenely expensive coffee with. I bet, given the opportunity, he would use that money to purchase teeth whitening and braces for his two (yes, two) crooked teeth.”

Nay, nay, good doctor.

He assumes that I would be so vain as to actually purchase something so worthless. As you can see, though I may have somewhat of an overbite my teeth aren’t entirely crooked. Furthermore, Zoom Laser Whitening would be a proven waste because my teeth would be stained once again during my morning cup of coffee.

But that’s what he banks on: My vanity.

The issue is deeper, isn’t it? Sometimes Laura and I talk, and we complain, and we grumble about how awful things are. Case in point: we have to move, and it’s kept us in a pretty poor mood lately. We’ve argued quite a bit. We didn’t want to move, but due to various reasons we have to move (nothing negative by any means). We have to step back and realize that there are just bigger things that should occupy our time.

Dr. Kim is a conduit of our culture. He’s there for the upkeep of my teeth (to remind me that I don’t have cavities and that I should floss…more…). He’s also there to remind me that things could be better. I could have a brighter, straighter smile. I have to step back to remind me (and him, every single time I go to the dentist apparently) that a brighter and straighter smile just isn’t that important to me.

Day in and day out, I listen to people’s problems. Frankly, I’m kind of getting sick of it. Why? I looked at this feature today (for one). If you don’t have the time to look at it now, please do later. It’s a picture essay with documentary on the New York Times website. It’s not that people I talk to don’t have real problems, it’s just that they aren’t looked at with any sense of what’s peripheral and of what’s of great substance.

I’m getting sick of myself too. I’m getting sick of how I complain about not getting to eat what I want for dinner. I’m getting sick of how I complain about the air conditioner not working at work and having to endure 80 degree heat while I type away working on other people’s problems.

There seems to be so much more that’s important out there…

But how can I worry about that?
I need to purchase a $4.00 cup of coffee and Dr. Kim wants to straighten my teeth.