Just under a year ago, I wore aligners for the first time. The plan was 20 weeks. But, of course, it took longer—I had to stay on some trays for extra time. At the end of that period, there were still a few things that needed fixing.
Waited a few weeks for a new set. I was expecting 5 aligners. Got 16 instead. So that was another 16+ weeks of something on my teeth every day. At that point, I was used to it anyway. Wore them. Finished them.
Couldn’t get an appointment right away to check if I was done.
Had to wait another 4 weeks. Finally, I got signed off. Now, retainers. Every day for two months, then probably every night for the rest of my life.
The point is—I did it. It started out uncomfortable, and now it’s weird to imagine not having them.
It just goes to show: life is about habits. What you get used to. And you can get used to almost anything.
That thought made me think about being forced into something I don’t want? That, I’d hate. I hope I never have to experience it.
For years, I had a bounce in my walk. It started after an accident—one I never went to physiotherapy for. I just adjusted and moved on. That bounce became part of me. Then I started running, had to fix my form, and now… it’s gone. Something I lived with for so long, something I didn’t even think about much, just disappeared.
Humans are so malleable. It’s the most interesting thing.
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