Yesterday, 9 February 2012, I had root canal. There may be no better day on your calendar than one with "root canal" in it. When it comes to an array of specialized tools and equipment, dentists—and by extension endotontists—are second only to Dr. Megele of old.
[edontontists is a Greek word meaning discomfort]
I will say that, having had root canal before (I know, lucky me), I had a fairly good idea of what was ahead. But Dr. Scott Johnson and his assistant, Deana, were supreme professional at every part of their profession. From receptionist to their "chair-side manner" all were affable and caring. My appointment occurred as unrushed and leisurely as could be hoped for. This was no medical factory looking to dispatch every patient in order jump on to their next victim. Not even a little bit.
Even upon conclusion of the more-than-one-hour procedure, I was invited to relax and "get up when you're ready...take it easy, you've been lying down for quite a while."
Yes I had.
But most fascinating of the entire experience (other than actually meeting these truly good people) was seeing the tray of tools used on me during the procedure. I had to shoot a photo with my iPhone. "Remarkable" does not cover it. (By-the-by, them are are my teeth in the x-ray on the screen.)
It got me thinking about the tools of my trade. You can see a few of them in my newest PR photo (upper right on this page.) The feather quill and other colorful pens and scissors are permanent fixtures on my studio desk. These are not props. Even the large, worn, leather book opened in front of me is a BookBook—a commercially made hard case for my MacBook Pro. Not seen in that tightly-cropped photo are numerous other containers of felt pens, quill pens, X-acto blades, pencils of every description, paint brushes, bamboo, and all sorts of known and unknown (weird) devices to scribble with.
[The clay mug in the photo, left. was a failed project by my high school art teacher, John Aguilar. I rescued it from the trash. I love it.]
When I leave home, for daily errands, a gathering of friends, or trip to the airport and beyond, I travel with between two dozen and fifty (or more) tools of my artistic trade. And always my current sketchbook, MacBook, plus current reading material...at least.
For daily writing (by hand) I am a fountain pen guy, exclusively. I'm certain that I own ballpoint and roller ball pens, but you will not readily find any of these in my headed-out-the-door bag, computer bag, or coat pocket. (I signed my endodontist forms yesterday with a purple Pental Sign Pen (my favorite all-purpose sketching/writing felt-tip pen ...available in eleven colors.)
Okay, we get it: you have a lot of art supplies and a fixed tooth. So what's your point, McNair?
Along the way to becoming who we each dream and strive to become we discover methods, systems, and tools for getting our work done and for accomplishing our dreams. NO ONE should ever tell you THIS is the way it must be done. Vincent van Gogh went to seminary and study to be a minister. He sucked at it. As he always loved drawing and painting he kept at it. When he could not even afford brushes he painted with wads of straw from his mattress-less bed. Later he acquired old, stiff, dried-out, paint brushes. From these awful tools he showed us life in vivid colors and big brushey strokes. In every one of his painting you could see him working away with globs of paint—I'd say just the right amount to portray his view of our world.
I wouldn't want to live in a world without van Gogh. Had he been a better preacher, we might never have had our world illuminated by his art. In his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh produced more than 2,100 artworks, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings, sketches and print. Most of his major works were produced in the last few years of his life. While he was living he sold, but one painting, to his brother, Theo (an art dealer) for the equivalent in today's economy of about forty dollars.
However, along with Pablo Picasso, van Gogh's art is the most valuable and has sold at the highest prices ever paid: as much as $100 million for one painting (by today's standards.)
Vincent van Gogh died at age 37.
His tools were less than simple, more crude than crafty. His art was influenced by the brilliant sunlight of southern France, the working class people he was surrounded by: miners, farmers, charwomen, dairymaids, along with cypress trees and their long shadows.
Yesterday, lying in the dentist's chair, I was in the company of artists who's modern, shiny, sterilized tools allow them to do what they love and do it with supreme craftsmanship.
Just as van Gogh saw ordinary wheat fields and created extra-ordinary paintings in bold strokes and the richest colors, Dr. Scott Johnson & Co. craft healthy teeth where once there was decay.
"Looks pretty good." Said Dr. Johnson, admiring his finished work on the x-ray screen behind me. His pride felt good to me—though the tooth is still sore.
Grab your tools and get busy on your dreams: art, teeth, music, culinary craftsmanship, wordsmithery ...the world needs you to go after your dreams and passions boldly. Whether you use big strokes, gentle chords, or shiny surgical steel implement, you being you is vital to the rest of us living in a complete world.
