Perceptions of people & self are interesting. My mother grew up (she would have been in her 90's now) when glasses weren't used much & her eyes had never developed. She couldn't see but no one knew that was her problem until she was in 3rd grade......so kids in those days made fun of people who wore glasses....so she had really low self-esteem & she was also very dependent on others even after she did get her glasses because she was so unsure of herself....she didn't even drive until I was 16 & didn't need her to drive any longer....I could do my life without her just as I had always had to do.....but.......

Her mother was also that kind of old lady who used to pick on if your eyebrows weren't exactly equal...you need to pluck your eyebrows or you need to do this or that's not quite right....blah blah blah. Honestly I hated being around her & obviously, my mother was very similar (gee, wonder why). I hated all this what seemed to be petty crap growing up.....& how self-conscious my mother was & I remember feeling so self conscious growing up in school trying hard not to be anything like my mother but still not quite fitting in because other parents knew each other & my parents didn't know anyone......

I grow up now, I had to have all my teeth removed & just my luck, I'm one in a whole bunch who can't tolerate dentures because of this horrible gag reflex that I have......so for 6 months, the oral surgery group said that they can't do implants until the surgery heals & the bone is solid......so I have my choice....I either stay in my farm & never go out & be with the wonderful friends I have.....or I just go for it........it popped back in my mind about how my mother wouldn't go out & do anything because of her eyes.....& I had always promised myself that I wouldn't be like my mother....so I just go for it. It's hard to talk without teeth & it definitely doesn't look great.....but hey, I promised myself that I would NOT allow things like that to bother me....so I just put it out of my mind & go for it just like I always have.....I have found that I am usually the one that says something about my no teeth rather than anyone else & it becomes a good conversation rather than something others could make fun of or give me a hard time about.....found that being up front about my situation & being in control of the conversation myself really helps & it keeps me from allowing myself to end up in the position that my mother did with her eyes.

& honestly, it doesn't matter & no one even says anything to me. We discuss what options I might have & it ends up being a topic for conversation rather than one for others judgment.