Things not to think about when someone is poking you with a sharp metal instrument...

It's generally advised that when you are experiencing something unpleasant (such as childbirth, forced sodomy, or in my case, a subgingival dental cleaning) to think of other things can to help you through the pain and discomfort. Sometimes the wrong thought can result in greater pain as I discovered yesterday in the dentists chair, when a random thought crept into my head and gave me a case of the giggles that threatened to result in my being stabbed in the gums with a rather sharp implement.

In my line of work, I answer a lot of emails. We're somewhat medical-related, and for a while, we would get 4-5 emails a day from surgical instrument manufacturers out of Pakistan. EVERY company claimed that they were the 'Premiere' manufacturer of surgical instruments and supplies.

It's crowded at the top, I tell ya.

It got so bad that I started to wonder if Pakistan operates under a caste system, and if there is a caste that consists entirely of manufacturers of surgical instruments and supplies.

I can picture it now.. a little boy standing in front of his father, declaring his dreams for the future, to be an acrobat, or a bus driver, or a deep-sea diver or an accountant. He is cut down as his father's mighty hand shakes a finger at him:

"No, Habib. You were born a manufacturer of surgical instruments and supplies, and you will die a manufacturer of surgical instruments and supplies!"

Poor little Habib toddles off, disheartened, but soon comes to the conclusion that if he must be a manufacturer of surgical instruments and supplies, he will be the best, nay, the PREMIERE, manufacturer of surgical instruments and supplies.

Along with the many, many, many others.

This is the thought that comes to me as I am watching the hygienist poke around in my mouth with such a utensil..

...quite possibly manufactured in Pakistan.