Forever Young

Yesterday I had to get a filling, no biggie really. It was a new dentist office, though, and I’m not accustomed to all of their routines. They are definitely more professional and customer service oriented than dumpy place I was previously going in my neighborhood. (Brooklyn, no matter how gentrified it may be in parts, conjures up third world-ness when it comes to healthcare. I almost have a real phobia about being forced into a Brooklyn hospital in an emergency situation.)

Last time I went I had a guy in a yarmulke, this time it was an Asian woman, about my age, who backhandedly complemented me by saying, “You’re so young to have high blood pressure and diabetes.” I just heard “so young” and took it as a compliment.

Some Top 40 station was blaring from her computer. As the left half of my face started becoming numb from the shots, she handed me a pair of sunglasses to wear. I’m not sure if this is meant to block out the overhead lamp or to induce relaxation. As I put them on, she started fiddling with the computer and next thing I knew Corey Hart’s “Never Surrender” was playing fairly loud, perhaps meant to drown out the drilling sounds and sooth me? I kept picturing that video where he’s cold and huddled in the back of a pick up truck, running away from home even though he’s clearly a grown up. When was the last time you heard a sax solo?

Sooth me, it didn’t because I couldn’t help thinking about what might happen if “Sunglasses at Night” came on next while I was wearing those damn shades indoors. I wouldn’t even be able to laugh because I had so much cotton wads and apparatuses in my mouth.

Indeed, it did come on but with a nice The Outfield interlude first. This had to be Dr. Quong’s own special ‘80s mix, no doubt about it. She was humming along to all the songs, too.

At some point a female in mauve scrubs poked her head in the door and quizzed, “What station is this?”

“It’s my own CD,” reported Dr. Quong matter-of-factly.

“We have the same taste in music,” stated the coworker.  Bond forged.

As I was brought back to the upright position, a remix of Alphaville’s “Forever Young,” filtered through the small speakers. Yep, so young.