Summer Job!

Me, scanning boxes of files

     This summer is the first summer I've had a job, and so far I actually really like it! If you had told me this time last year that I would enjoy waking up at 7...6:30...5 A.M. three days a week during the summer, I would have laughed. I am not a morning person. But the thing about waking up early is that you have so much daylight! I'm not used to being up for so long when it's light outside and I actually kind of like it. This morning, it was rather disconcerting to be woken up by my blaring alarm at 5 A.M. when it was still pitch black outside, but by the time I left the house it was light out and it was weirdly peaceful to be out driving while the sun rose. However, by the time 5 P.M. came and I'd been up for twelve hours and working nine of those, I was ready for a two hour nap.

I really want to see this movie! How have I not seen it yet? It's been out
for half my lifetime.

     The thing about my job though is that I'm working at my aunt's dental office and two of my cousins (from both sides of the family) work there too, so it's basically a big family reunion. I'll be honest that half the time I have no idea what I'm doing (like fixing air vents, cleaning sterilizing machines, ordering supplies, and booking hotels) but I just kind of fly by the seat of my pants and make it up as I go. The first time I helped with a patient's perio chart, I'm certain that I screwed up quite a bit, but I've helped with four or five since then and I haven't messed up! I like to think that I kind of know what I'm doing now. The hygienist yesterday asked if I'd ever used cheek retractors before and I just looked at her and was like "Uhh no, but I can learn!" so she had me come back with her and put on gloves and was about to show me how to retract this guy's cheeks so she could take a picture of his teeth when she was like "Actually, if you want you can take the picture and I'll retract the cheeks" and I was like "Yes, that's perfect". I can point a camera at a patient's mouth and click a button...but I'm not so sure about sitting behind them and using giant metal hooks to pull their cheeks away from their teeth. It was so weird though because I recognized the guy I was taking pictures of from photos that I was compiling and then when I found his X-ray later that day to put in his folder I saw his tongue ring and bull ring on the X-ray...it's a weird feeling to see someone's piercings in person and on an X-ray. It's also weird to be scanning files and come across your own...and your brother's...and your uncle's. I've seen more pictures of the inside of my uncle's mouth than I ever wanted to. Let me tell you, staring at pictures of bloody mouths with missing or decaying, rotted teeth is not altogether pleasant. At first it made me want to gag but by day two I was eating trail mix while going through them so I guess that's progress? Also, I've started to recognize people by their teeth, which is troubling.

     One thing that I've gotten good at that I never thought I would is talking on the phone to strangers. It used to make me so nervous to call someone I'd never called before to ask about something or schedule an appointment and now I'll call numbers hardly even knowing what I'm supposed to be asking them for and somehow it works out. Actually, talking on the phone is kind of nice because they'll usually put you on hold for extended periods of time, so then I can just sit there with the phone up to my ear, listening to elevator music and not doing anything but it looks like I'm busy, which is key. I hate having to pretend like I'm busy. I'd rather actually be busy. Being on hold is a good balance.

     Anyway, overall I really enjoy my job, even if I have to wake up before the sun some days. Maybe I can learn to be a morning person. But I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I'm voluntarily rising while it's still dark outside...that's just unnatural.

Day 1264 Song Recommendation: "Take Me Up" by Coleman Hell.
Day 1265 Song Recommendation: "Heavy" by Oh Wonder.
Day 1266 Song Recommendation: "Wonder" by Hillsong United.
Day 1267 Song Recommendation: "Hoping" by X Ambassadors.
Day 1268 Song Recommendation: "Lay It All Down" by Tell All My Friends.
Day 1269 Song Recommendation: "Simple Song" by The Shins.

-SE Wagner