Almost Out of the Wire!

"How do my teeth really look?" Mom always answered by telling me I had a wonderful smile and my teeth were fine. For years, I reluctantly believed her over my bathroom mirror. Later, I learned not to trust my parents or friends when it came down to this sensitive question - they were all good people who were programmed over time to handle my feelings with care. However, life offered me a little smelling salt which served as a gentle reminder to trust the true image of my teeth in the mirror. No revelation can be as brutally clear regarding your look as a video camera (a recent friend who I've learned to depend solely upon for honesty).

After a painfully, imperfect smile smacked me dead in the face as I watched a very open-mouthed RANDEVYN performing on a television program, I was immediately convinced that the mirror was right; I had to get my teeth into some wires. With the decision for braces, I didn't realize that I was sentencing myself to carrying a 6th-grade look and a new cut in my mouth nearly every time I opened my jaws to sing. It panned out to be a sacrifice well worth it, I must say. The video camera won't catch my teeth slipping again - that's for sure. Finally, it's almost over! It's about time for a new look, anyway. Here's to new beginnings.