There’s an old cliche about the thing you want being on the other side of the thing you fear. I can see why it attained “cliche” status. I can think of a number of situations that qualify;

Fitness. People want to be fit. They want to look good in that bathing suit or that dress. I think that they really should want it for the overall health benefits, like quality of life and the ability to fend for oneself into your 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, etc. But let’s not kid ourselves, folks. It’s the look that people want. They want to show it off at the reunion, or the club meeting, or church. They want to tell people “how they did it” and give others advice, or start their own wellness site and get 3 billion followers, or, well, you get the idea. That’s what motivates most folks, IMHO. But the discipline to stick to an activity & diet plan, in order to achieve fitness? Well, now, that’s a scary proposition. It’s hard, and most people don’t like hard. If you offered the average person a choice of a free diet and exercise plan that would lead to fitness, guaranteed , or a drug that they could inject / ingest that would kill their appetite so they would simply lose weight, without the other health benefits associated with a healthier lifestyle, which would they choose?

I know. Why do I ask you questions you already know the answer to?…

…and I digress…

…oh, and BTW, please don’t come at me with your ” I tried everything else and it’s a genetic thing with me and you don’t know what it’s like” story. I’m sure those cases exist. But that story is a lot like perfect pitch. WAY more people claim it than actually have it. And I DO know what it’s like. I started at 265. I currently tip the scales at about 175. NONE of that was easy. I don’t enjoy moderation or caloric deficit. There are days when I REALLY don’t want to go to the gym or go for a run. But what I want is worth what I have to do to get it. What I desire, ie fitness, is worth the time being active and the discipline to not overindulge on a regular basis. And yes, I have a wellness blog. This one, in fact. But 3 billion followers? Umm, more like less than 100? But it’s quality over quantity, and you all are the best.

Love you. Mean it.

I will now step off my dang soapbox get back to the point of this little story.

People want authority, but fear responsibility. People want true love, but fear commitment. They want to be understood, but fear open and honest communication.

The thing you want is just on the other side of the thing you fear.

Which brings me to a little open and honest info about myself;

For my whole life, I’ve had a problematic relationship with dentistry. That’s a gift from Mom’s side of the family, I think. I didn’t help things when, during my “broke actor in L.A.” years, I didn’t visit the dentist for years at a time, out of fear and because, well, I was a broke actor in L.A. Small problems became big problems. Small bills became big bills. Then, during my corporate years, when I had a good dental plan, I actually “adulted” enough to get everything fixed. Not pretty. My dentist quoted me what the cost of “pretty” would be and my reply was ” let’s just get healthy. I don’t need pretty. And that’s what we did. And I’ve continued my regular dental checkups, and whatever work has been needed to keep things healthy.

But it’s always been a thing.

My teeth aren’t pretty. My smile isn’t pretty. I have fangs on top. My bottom teeth are crowded together. That’s been the case my whole life. So I don’t smile a lot. And that affects the way I express myself. I’ll sort of semi-smile , with my lips closed, most of the time. And that’s been the case for as long as I can remember. It’s more or less a part of my personality now. But lately it’s been brought to my attention, because of the tour. I’ve done a fair amount of media. I’ve been seeing my face onscreen a fair amount lately. And when I see me, onscreen, all I see are my teeth. It doesn’t matter if I was good onscreen or not, whether I was eloquent or clever of did a good job of promoting the show, my smile, or lack thereof, is all that captures my attention.

The thing you want is just on the other side of the thing you fear.

So.

I’m going to do something about it. During our summer break I’m going to have cosmetic dental work done, Crowns which will, hopefully, give me a pleasant smile for the 1st time in this lifetime. And no, the goal is not perfect, dazzling white teeth. The goal, as I have expressed to the folks involved on numerous occasions, is a pleasant, realistic smile.

I’m scared to death.

I know. Modern dentistry can work wonders. I have been reassured that the “discomfort” will be minimal, and the recovery is literally days. But when your history with a practice has been as full of pain, unpleasantness and laying on bathroom floors because the pain meds make you throw up, you get a little jumpy.

It’s not happening for about a month and I’m already jumpy enough to hit my head on the rim.

Why? At 65? Because, friends, I’m not done. And I don’t think that I’m at a place where I want to just coast into a pine box. It’s bugged me for 65 years. 66 come August. So here we go. Working through the thing that I fear to get the thing I want. Are there any guarantees? Nope. Could things go wrong? Absolutely. But I’ve done a fair amount of research, and I do have a fairly decent track record when it comes to making drastic, sudden changes.

Here we go again. I’ll keep you updated.

Talk later,

Bob