September 11, 2002
I had a root canal done today by an archconservative endodontist who is a great fan of Rush Limbaugh and listens to his talk radio show all day – which means that everyone in his office also gets to listen. Or, as I did, tune out – to both distasteful and unnerving experiences.
Looking at the dentist, you’d never think he was such a right-winger. He’s youngish, small, good-looking, has gelled spikey hair, and is known in the region as both an excellent jazz saxophone player and an excellent root canal guy. Just proves the old axiom, doesn’t it. It also reminds me how complex individuals are and how careful we should be about judging the total worth of someone by one aspect of his/her personality. On the other hand, Hitler supposedly was a good artist. (There's a movie in the works about his early years.) So, sometimes one bad aspect of a personality is so bad that it neutralizes anything good that might nevertheless be there. Then, again, what’s really bad from one person’s perspective is not so bad from another’s. No wonder people and genders and nations and religions and philosophies etc. etc. have such a hard time finding common ground. No wonder so often I feel totally out of sync with just about everyone else.
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Old Comments (8)
Richard on 12 Sep 2002
You and me both, Elaine. You and me both.
catana on 12 Sep 2002
So why did you put up with it? You're *paying* for his services. You had the right to tell him you didn't want to listen. If my dentist had that shit on and wouldn't change the station, I'd find another dentist.
Andrea on 12 Sep 2002
Ugh, I think root canal + Rush Limbaugh is what they use to punish people in the lower circles of Hell, isn't it?
And I always heard Hitler was a bad artist who wanted to be famous, which is why he became a despot.
Elaine of Kalilily on 12 Sep 2002
Actually, sometimes I like to tune into people I don't agree with to remind me why I don't agree with them. So, that's how I started out, but it didn't take long for me to slip into the altered state I've learned to slip into when in the dentist's chair. And Rush gave me additional incentive to do that. :-) If it really bothered me, I would have said something. Actually, the dentist gave me the option; I opted to let Rush rant.
And, from what I understand of the research for the proposed movie about Hitler, his early years were a far cry from where he wound up. Makes me wonder what would have had to occur in his life in those years that might have put him on a totally different and constructive path.
rainbow on 13 Sep 2002
ditto. oh, no! lol. i actually try to never use the word just b/c it has rl connotations.
about hitler's childhood, alice miller wrote a good book that looks at the childhoods of a few famous people. (alice miller the swiss psychiatrist.) i'll need to find it to tell you more (if you don't find it first in your own search).
her theory was that a child who received no love would turn out the way hitler did, and a child receiving great love would overcome all obstacles as picasso did. this is, of course, overly simplified, but it spurred me to try to always be aware of children (ones i might see once in passing) who might need a smile or a kind word from an adult (as a form of emotional support to help them through their troubled lives).
rainbow on 13 Sep 2002
oops. my url in the last post has a typo.
it should read:
sunlightthroughrain.blogspot.com
Danielle on 24 Oct 2003
Actually Hitler as a child recieved great love from his mother. He had 2 siblings that died within the first year and another that died at the age of 6. Hitler was loved greatly by his mother because he was almost all she had. Hitler's parents were actually 2nd cousins.
polifoniczne dzwonki on 13 Jun 2004
Hmmmmm interesting !!!