I had the most remarkable conversation with a sixteen year-old today:
Nice young lady, attends a good high school here, nice family. The memory of the conversation is so vivid that I can almost transcribe it here:
Dr. PC: Hi, I'm Dr. (PC), how are you doing today?
Young Lady: Fine, thank you. Nice to meet you. My family talks about you all the time.
Dr. PC: Yes, our politics are congruent...and they're nice people...for parents, right? (Laughter ensues)
So, what may I do for you today, do you have any particular problems with your teeth or gums, or anything you want to tell me about?
YL: No, I'm just here for a check up.
Dr. PC: Blah blah blah dental stuff.. (check teeth in the usual manner) So, are you having fun in school?
YL: Nah.....
Dr. PC: I'm sorry...are you bored, you're smart and do well, at least that's what I've heard from your family.
YL: Yeah, it's OK, but there's no one to date.
Dr. PC: Oh, no one wants to go out (notice how careful I am about asking about boys/girls/whatever - you should all be impressed by that fact)
YL: Well, it's just that the boys are all too short.
Dr. PC: (Looking her sideways in the chair) Well, how tall are you?
YL: 5 foot four.
Dr. PC: there are no boys in your school taller than 5 foot four?
YL: Not many: they all drink and smoke and that stunts your growth.
Dr. PC: Oh, I'm sorry. If forgot that all of us in my generation are so tall because they hadn't invented booze or cigarettes when we were kids.
YL: (Staring the way an adolescent stares at what she thinks is an old man) Well, you guys didn't do it like we do.
Dr. PC: (Stifling hysterical laughter - you really had to be there) Yeah, that's what everyone your age is telling me. You're probably right, we just had marijuana, hash, mescaline, peyote, LSD, 500 different kinds of beer, gin, vodka, scotch, and if we got tired of all that we always had butane lighters to sniff.
YL: Whaaaaat?
Dr. PC: I'm not saying I did any of that, but believe me, your generation did not invent boozing, drugs, popular music, or sexuality of one form or another. I think you need to look around a bit for some taller guys. I think they're out there somewhere.
Dental Hygienist: I'm running late, can we move it along here?
Dr. PC: Ah, she-who-must-be-obeyed!
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