Thursday, March 25, 2010

Is This How the World Feels?

Anybody who is a Facebook friend of mine probably realizes what a rough week this has been for me. God must be trying to teach me something ... again... or still.

I got my teeth cleaned this week. I hate going to the dentist even though my mouth is healthy. I do like the music there. It's the people who usually annoy me! The hygienists seem to want my teeth to have something wrong with them because I am honest and tell them that I only floss 3 times a week rather than everyday. It really bugs them that I can have clean teeth without flossing every, single day!

The hygienist asked if my necklace was Texas. Nope.

The hygienist mentioned something about kids who come in with their new teeth growing in before their baby teeth fall out, so I thought that being in the dental field and being a human being, that she would be interested and concerned for some children that I had learned about through Drawn From Water.

Me: "Did you know that there are some tribes in Ethiopia who think that children who have two sets of teeth like that are bad luck, so they kill them."

Hygienist: "Ha ha!"

(She must not understand what I just said.)

Me: "They're doing it now, it isn't just something that happened a long time ago."

Hygienist: "Well, I guess that keeps the population under control. Ha ha."

(Are you serious?)

Me: "It's NEVER OK to kill children."

(My blood is boiling now. There are tools in my mouth, and I am at a loss for words anyway.)

Hygienist: "Different strokes for different folks.... I could kill my kids sometimes. Ha ha!"

Is this how the rest of the world feels about people in Africa? That they're not really children of God like you and me?

This breaks my heart for her -that she is so ignorant and empty. It breaks my heart for the people in other countries that are not seen by many as the *real* people that they are who love their children just like you and I do.

To learn more about this practice and how to help save these children who are being drowned in the river because their teeth come in "wrong," they are born out of wedlock, are twins, or they chipped a tooth please, visit the Drawn From Water blog.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Susan,
I would make an appointment to talk with the dentist that is in charge of her. He/she needs to know how their staff is responding to patients. Be honest and let them know that they could lose patients. Do you really want to go back to that hygenist/dentist if that is the way they feel? Remind them that there are plenty of dentist in the area that have respect for human life. I know that many dentist use a service to staff the offices but they can request not to have certain hygenist. (A good friend is a dentist and he got so fed up with the service that he finally hired one and what a difference it has made.)

Greta

Cindy said...

Yeah. I agree with Greta. That is really sad :(

Rob and Candy said...

unbelievable.... Perhaps you are to pray for this woman?
I know I will pray for her heart right now.
xxoo
Candy

K.P. said...

There are no words. Now my blood is boiling!!! OH. MY.
Wow.

beBOLDjen said...

Oh.My.Goodness.

I have no words. I'll have to chew on this one for a while.

Apryl said...

Oh Susan!1 How terrible--I'm completely blown away! I hope it goes well today--I can't imagine that you would possibly meet another person in that office with the same terrible reaction.
a

Mark & Mel Harpold said...

How heartbreaking!!

Patty said...

I had to read your post twice to make sure I didn't misunderstand. Wow! This woman needs Jesus! I will pray for her. How terrible and sad and angry this made me.

Patty Violette

Team Dragovich said...

You know... Risa's two bottom teeth came in before her baby teeth fell out. That was how we figured out that she was MUCH older than we were told she was and prompted us have her bone age tested, etc...

On Saturday, we were at the horse races with a group of people from Tony's work. Some of the guys were teasing each other about the different horses people were picking-- you know, just havin' fun. In an effort to tease Tony about how scrawny his horse looked, one of the guys said to him, "Man Tony, your horse ain't nothin'. You got the Ethiopian horse!"

Ummm... my head about spun off my body. But, the saddest thing about it is how effortlessly the comparison was made and how people have no idea that the careless comparisons they make are about real people who are REALLY suffering, starving and dying.... and to "us" (the proverbial "us"), they are just the catch-phrase to use in a joke.

You are a strong woman and filled with God's love and grace... He will change hearts and minds through your obedience to be truthful and honest.

Love to you!

Becky Lee Burk said...

Susan.... WOW, I mean WOW!!! I wish I could go with you to see the office manager b/c I would love to see what he/she has to say about that. I can't believe they don't let you speak with the practice owner personally though. Unbelieveable...