|
Attila the Dental Hygienist
by Memphis Saltos
I just came back from my usual
biannual visit to Attila the Dental
Hygienist. Attila is in her 70s and has magnets placed strategically
all
over her body. Perhaps it is these attracting forces giving her the
strength to make my jaw feel like I've been in a boxing ring after our
visits.
Why do I go to Attila when I could easily find a younger and gentler
person to care for my teeth? It can't be that her office is in the
tallest
unreinforced brick building in Berkeley. That high rise will
tumble
like
Jenga blocks when the big one hits, so I'm playing Russian Roulette
by
continuing to spend so much time there. It can't be her running
commentary
on the evils of the foods and beverages I consume, how I must floss
more,
brush better and how I must try magnets and oxygenated water.
I go because despite it all I love Attila the Dental Hygienist. She
remembers the evils of the McCarthy era and the time she had to put up
with an abusive husband. She remembers Jack Kennedy. She
remembers the
names and ages of my daughters and knows each and every job I've had
since
coming to Berkeley. And she remembers to pick the brightest and most
colorful toothbrush for me at the end because she knows I like them.
|
|