I went for my semi-annual cleaning and my dentist did it himself. This is not what usually happened pre-pandemic. The dental hygienist cleaned teeth. I was a little uncomfortable about it, to be frank. It’s like when I was a teacher and had occasion to watch a school administrator try to teach. Not pretty. Kids looked at me and rolled their eyes, like, “are you seeing this amateur?”
The dental practice closed for two months in 2020 due to Covid. When they reopened, one hygienist had decided to retire, another had to stay home because her children were on remote learning, and a third was afraid to come back, had vulnerable people in her family. In that line of work, you do have to put your face close to open mouths.
Perhaps a path not yet taken lies ahead
An acquaintance once told me she needed to have her vacations planned so that there was little down time, because otherwise she would start thinking. Not a good idea, apparently, to be alone with her mind. Before Covid, we often lived overbooked lives, went through our days as scheduled, seldom stopping long enough to give any of it a second thought. It’s hard to review your life choices while you’re in a meeting or on your way to your daughter’s soccer game or figuring out, at bedtime, what to wear to work tomorrow.
Pandemic downtime made us start thinking, whether we wanted to or not. Many laid off from low-paying, dead-end jobs contemplated their work choice and said, “what the hell am I doing this for?” A review of options has occurred more to those in entry-level positions than to the likes of dental hygienists. Some in those low-rung jobs—jobs nonetheless essential to us—are not returning, going to school instead or otherwise seeking better employment. If this pandemic outcome forces employers to raise starting pay, wonderful. If it costs me a little more for food and services, fine, but I’d like those one percent CEOs to slice a few million off their salaries to cover the cost too.
I know. Fat chance. We’d better pass those higher tax rates for them instead.
Schools are open this fall. The dentist thinks now they’ll get more applicants. Hygienists have the equivalent of two years of college, make better than $50,000 to start in Colorado. The pandemic just forced other priorities to come first for them. My dentist did a fine job of cleaning my teeth but next time I come in, he’ll probably have a hygienist to do it.
Thinking, worrying, 2 A.M. wandering in the catacomb of the mind. No fun. As for the outside stuff: my trash collection fee suddenly went up 30% a while back. The office told me it was because they were trying to keep good drivers and attract some new ones. Hmmm. The driver who collects trash on my street confirmed that the bigwigs were indeed taking care of him. OK. I’ll stay.
So that’s a good thing, but are the bigwigs making any sacrifices? BTW, you suburban folk pay for trash? That’s a Denver service, covered by our taxes.
Thinking is dangerous to the system. And we pay for trash—extra for recycling….
As one of my UCD professors told us: a truly liberal education is not in the best interests of the republic. Oh, and our recycling is no extra charge. You do have to pay a fee for compost.