Welcome to session six of our study of Beth Ann Fennelly’s Heating & Cooling: 52 Micro-Memoirs.
Each week, you can write on the weekly topic or any subject you choose. It’s up to you. The only requirement is that it be 300 words or less, not including your title and name.
This week’s writing topic is a trip to the dentist. Interpret that topic as you wish. Write your story and post it in the comments section below.
Once you’ve done that, read some of your fellow members’ stories and leave them a note of encouragement.
On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, we’ll examine pages 102-111, “Salvage” through “Acknowledgments.”
Discussion question: In the last six weeks, we’ve read stories about Beth Ann Fennelly’s many experiences. A theme in a book is the central idea, underlying message, or universal truth the author is trying to convey throughout the story, and books often contain one major and many minor themes. What do you see as major and minor themes in Heating & Cooling? What micro-memoirs support that theme?
This story began as a response to a prompt. The hurt was real.
Here is my story about a scary visit to a dentist.
sounds like your mother didn’t like or trust the dentist either. Harsh times for a wee one.
My mother was petrified of dentists.
To this day the word dentist fills me with intense anxiety even though I might be going for a simple cleaning of my teeth. Enjoy.
The world had different plans for you Jackie…
I’m try to write about my life from a “We plan, God laughs” or combining my life’s journey to a combination of a butterfly intertwined with a spider. A spider that lives after his web is destroyed merely swings one of it silk threads and relocates where that thread lands. A butterfly just flies from one thing to another. I’m a combo of the two.
Micro memoir #6 – Dental memories
What a little rascal you were. I be you looked cute with that wad of bubble gum sitting on the top of your nose. Wish I had a picture of that. Well written descriptive story…that led into a vocation for you..
Kit, nicely written and great outcome. At least you walked away with a special career.
A Painful Memory
Oh, you poor baby girl. You have written down all the fears, lack of knowing what came next that I experienced as a child. While I didn’t have any pulled, just getting a filling was bloody and hurt. I find it hard to believe that these fears still linger all our lives and my blood pressure goes up so high even thinking about the dentist, even though now, nothing really hurts.
Linda, nicely and painfully written story. Medical personnel were a tad mysterious back in the day. So glad you came out okay, and only missing one tooth.
Linda, another thing we have in common. At six, I had the same thing happen to me. I wrote about the experience, but the story disappeared somewhere in my computer. Maybe I will find it by tomorrow night. My experience, as I am sure your also, has left me to this day with severe dentist trauma.
I’ve dealt with two such dentists in my life, and have worked most of my life to overcome the experiences.
I worked for dentists for years and at the Pitt Dental School. No dentist should dig and pull a tooth without pain medication. That guy shouldn’t have had a license. Sorry you had that experience.
Refer to my answer to Jackie’s comment.
How old were you? How did it feel with no Novocain? He would have had to strap me to the chair to pull a tooth without numbing.
I really liked your use of the word “wrestling”. It does feel like wrestling when a tooth is pulled with all the wrenching back and forth.
I was probably nine or ten, which explains, for years afterward, why I described myself as the
worst dental patient in the world.
No dentist story from me…Blah..no, no, no. Here is a different story written from a prompt.
What an extraordinary story. Dar, your descriptions pull me in, and I feel what you feel. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful story Dar. Sounds like you had a good landing.
Lovely story, Dar. So descriptive, so evocative.
You found a beautiful way to describe how it feels to be “home.” Thanks for sharing.
I suppose it would be like PULLING TEETH to get a dentist story out of you, and after reading this piece, I feel no reason to DRILL you about your motives in picking this topic instead.
GROAN!
Attached is my story for this week. I have chosen to write on a different topic. The Power of Three. Enjoy.
Norma, Enjoyed your story, The Power of Three. I never would have thought about all the three’s that have been present in our lives.
Hi Julie. Thanks for. Your comment. I try to write stories that give information you or others might be interested in and we all use from time to time without the slightest thought of why or how. Glad you found it useful. ❤️
What an interesting story, Norma. I began to think of even more threes in nature (leaves and petals), as your story progressed. I liked the ending very much. How you used your own prompt to review your day’s activities. Well done!
Thanks Kit. Glad you enjoyed it. ❤️
You definitely gave us something to think about. Great work.
Thank you. I enjoy giving our readers something to think about. ❤️
Great essay, and spot on. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve had two examples and stopped to look for a third because it didn’t seem “right” with just two. You deserve three wishes from the writing Genie.
Thanks Dave. This principle was first taught to me in art class!
Norma, this story was so so interesting…a lot of thought was put into ithe writing to nform me to look closer. Thank you. I enjoyed this micro memoir very much
Hi Dar. Thanks so much for your comment. Glad it interested you. ❤️
I agree with David–painful memories.
I could feel your nine-year-old self full of fear and disbelief. Way to go!
wa-a-y too painful.
If you change the name from Julie to Dave the story could have been written by me. By the age of 18, the fillings in my mouth were like Abraham’s descendants, as numerous as the stars.
This prompt marks the first time I considered ignoring the prompt. The Dentist brings back painful memories. This memory is the exception.
I like that your dentist was far ahead of most in supplying you with music and novocaine. I never had one that great. I’m glad your process wasn’t like mine. After removing my wisdom teeth, I got dry sockets and had to return for more work!!! Great job with the writing. I was there with you the entire time.
I like the line: “whirring drills and noisy suction lines” So yucky. Great descriptive story. Well done!
Dave, you shouldn’t have driven yourself home after that procedure. Glad you made it home safely.
Another masterpiece David…I’m sharing this one. I’m still laughing and will laugh about this one for a long time. Thanks
I’m honored to meet your high bar for story sharing. I hope your buddies enjoy it.
More to the story…
As I drove home, I realized I wasn’t as sobered up as I thought. When I tilted my head I thought the car was tipping over. Old me would have pulled over, but 18 year old me thought it was funny and kept going. Fortunately it wasnt far and I made it home.
When you said you drove home after needing more oxygen to “sober up”, I thought Uh-oh!
But, at eighteen I wouldn’t have had any better judgement. I agree with Dar. A great story.