WALKING BACK HOME ALONG THE LAKE SHORE IN WINTER AFTER A ROOT CANAL

As I stroll along in person through the as-always splendid lakeside scenery, I have all the time I need to transcend a few of the pro tem observations of life at certain moments, such as that leafless trees are nerve ends screaming into an empty sky. One needs to overcome such beliefs as a function of one's advance through time, much as one takes steps at a heartbeat pace to advance on the long walk toward home. The anesthetic is a factor as well in negating other temporary convictions, for example that lakes are giant naked cavities filled with ice water.

Such apparent facts are simply not true as stated. Unlike the pith of reality, they have to do with mere appearance, sensual deception, momentary mismentation. The trees look that way because trees and nerves accord with a similar principle of design, that's all. Trees do not scream the way nerves do. And although the lake is in fact a huge cavity filed with ice water, that's because it's winter now; it has nothing to do with not brushing optimally for half a century. The lake has no dental bills.

There are ways around these illusions, as there are ways around lakes, like a tongue exploring the extent of the change...

I'm just being dramatic. It didn't hurt at all, actually; my dentist is eminently capable. The only real drawback is that I can't whistle a note until the anesthetic wears off.