Rio de Janeiro: 29°C, hot and sunny.
Today has been another productive day, coming close to a milestone in my life that perhaps for some might not seem like much, but for me, it is significant. A great deal.
Today I had my penultimate dentist’s appointment for the fitting of my implant teeth. I have had two large gaps in the upper part of my mouth for the last seven or eight years. I’ve always had a problem with dentists since I was a child in England.
In the last ten years, I began to face serious health issues concerning my mouth and teeth in general. I’m sure part of this was due to the immense stress before, during, and after the separation from Nalva.
The last years we spent together were hellish. During this period of separation, it felt like three times the torment of before. After the separation, it became five times worse for another three or four years. Only now, in the past two years—eight years after we separated—are things improving, and I am finding peace in my life.
Due to responsibilities with the school and needing to pay child maintenance, which I do not mind, living and paying for everything was also tricky. I struggled to afford dental treatments and attempted them multiple times, but I often stopped halfway through. It was not only the financial aspect that held me back but also past childhood trauma from bad dentists in England.
So, my 1:00 pm appointment with Doctor Thomas was to fit the implants, check that everything was okay, and choose the colour to match my other teeth. Next Tuesday, the implants should be ready, and now, after eight or nine years, I can smile properly again without being too self-conscious. There are still a few more things to be done; the treatment is not 100% finished, but the major part has almost been completed.
It is incredibly gratifying and rewarding to know that you’re improving yourself. Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do, and overcoming your fears is like breaking the chains that hold you down—weights around your neck that stop you from moving forward. Once they’re broken, you are free, never to be controlled, hindered, or stopped by that fear or those weights again.
After the dentist appointment, I went to give a class to Dona Vera. She seemed better, stronger, and more focused. She gave me my early Christmas present. The beautiful box and bag the present came in indicated that it was from ‘Aviator’, a well-known and expensive men’s clothing shop in Rio.
I haven’t opened the present yet, and when I do, I will probably exchange the T-shirt or shirt she gave me for a pair of trousers to wear in England. I will go into the shop to ask to change it before I travel. There should be no problem, and I will pay the difference because a good pair of trousers would surely be much more expensive.
Once again, I’m very grateful to her for the Christmas present. It was very kind of her. I like her very much, not merely because of the gift, but because she has been a special person in my life for some time. I truly value her friendship and will bring her flowers before I go to England.
I arrived back home at about a quarter past five. With my first class at 5:00 and the last at 8:00, I’ll have classes straight through until nearly 9:00 PM. After the final class of the day, I took Perola for a quick walk around the block, as I hadn’t had time throughout the entire day. I didn’t eat anything before going to bed.
In bed by 9.30 am.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading this blog post. Please explore my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Richard
