in which I get two cavities filled by someone I knew in high school...

Good morning, Clint.

It is a delightfully sunny day here in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Whopper. Today is Teacher Appreciation Day at school, so I thought I would send some of that appreciation your way in the form of a new blog activity...or blogtivity(...I'm sorry). We both have very specific realms of knowledge and experience, so I thought we could use that to both entertain and educate. Every week we should ask each other a question and the other can answer in his next blog post. Sound good? So my first question to you is...who is your favorite photographer and what is the image of his or hers that is your favorite? I know that's like asking me who my favorite historian is, but I say you must choose! I saw an article on NPR about some photos that Ansel Adams took for the Department of the Interior and they are absolutely incredible! So let's start this thing...it'll be great. Trust me.

SIDEBAR: Are you checking what's on these links? Some of this is comic GOLD!

Ya know...like Carlos Mencia...(I was going to use Carrot Top...but do yourself a favor and don't google image Carrot Top...ugh)

So now onto the meat of my entry. Yesterday, I got two cavities filled. Which is, of course, miserable. I don't like any part of the dental work process. This stems from the simple fact that I don't like having other people's hands in my mouth...which, I think, is fairly reasonable.

Uht? Uh cuss uh een ahing...(why do they always wait to talk to you until you have your mouth full...)

This is all beside the point, though. The dental assistant (though I'm not sure this is her appropriate title...sorry to dental professionals everywhere) that was handing the different instruments of torture to the dentist was a girl I went to high school with. This has happened a couple of times to me, and I began thinking as I lay there, breathing deeply on the gas, praying that it wouldn't take very long, about how as my classmates and I have passed into adulthood, we are going to be in some interesting situations as employers, employees, service providers, service consumers, etc. Other than the fillings, I have rented a car, bought a pair of running shoes, made an appointment at the eye doctor, taught with, been served at a restaurant, and rented a room at a hotel to friends or acquaintances from high school. Part of this regularity comes from the fact that I live in Nashville. I see these people all the time because most of them stayed here. My thoughts about this are mostly just societal. I mean...how does one approach these situations? Here are my thoughts...and as I am apparently an anal retentive blogger...broken down in sections.

1. Serving: So what happens when you are serving someone at a restaurant or hotel or wherever you may be working and that person is an acquaintance from high school. If it was a friend, it would be easy! "Oh it's been so long!", "How are you!?", etc. But with an acquaintance...is it appropriate to be like "Hey, did you go to BHS?" knowing full well that both of you know that you did. Does that help the service to be better or does it make a business lunch or, God forbid, a first date super awkward?

Bill? Yeah, he used to wear this Babylon 5 shirt EVERYDAY! So, would you like to start with some appetizers?

2. Being served: Is it appropriate to even mention that you know dude/dudette from high school? I mean...sitting in the midst of my graduation looking out over the crew that was about to go on to college or whatever else, one kind of assumes that people had dreams and desires, and I think I can say, honestly, that I didn't think anybody was like "I can't wait to be a full time waiter at Chili's". And yet, here we are...grabbing a quick bite after church with A-train and Special K and all of a sudden, WHAM! High school. I just don't want someone to feel like crap cause they came to work and some dude from high school who is not in the service industry is like "oh...didn't know you were working here...still..." It's like that scene from that cinematic masterpiece Waiting... where the guy's high school buddy comes in and then gives him a huge tip cause "it looked like you needed it." Yeesh! Now this is all assuming that someone might not be so proud of what they are doing at said job. I also focus on the food service industry because that seems like the most common overlap. So who knows...

But here is the ultimate. Someday...I will(probably) teach the child of someone I knew from high school. Or maybe even a friend. I do not look forward to this. Relationships between teachers, students, and parents are complex enough, but adding more baggage is not ideal. And I know I have friends that would like me to teach their kids, and I would be happy to do it...but it makes me nervous. In effect, I am the waiter that loves his job. I am now serving your family in the most direct of ways. I am helping to RAISE your child! Teaching them how to think and learn. That is intense. It's like camping...(get it?!)

I will say, though, that my personal experiences with these meetings have been pretty positive. It's kinda nice to meet up with people and all of them seem really happy about what they're doing. Like yesterday, the girl at the dentist really loves working on teeth. And, yes, she acknowledged that it was weird, but hey, it makes her happy and she seemed to be doing really well. So yeah, it's awkward, but who cares?

So this is what I've been thinking as the high pitched whine of the drill on my teeth reverberates through my skull. That, and the answers to questions on Cash Cab.

Ben Bailey: hosts a game show while driving a cab in NYC...baller.