On Friday afternoon, I was asked a very basic question: ‘What are the components of
composite resin?’ Anyone who has never studied, or is not studying dentistry or
oral health, would have no clue how to answer such a question. But if you have,
you would understand that not knowing the answer to this question would be
quite like not knowing how the water cycle works, what the first month of the
year is, or the number of letters in the English alphabet. I searched my mind
for the answer, as my clinical educator continued shuffling through her
flashcards. Her mental scoff was far from subtle. I don’t blame her.
Organic
resin matrix. Inorganic filler particles. Initiators and accelerators.
Inhibitors and stabilisers. Coupling agents. Pigment. Six very simple
components that make up the material we often use to fill the cavities in your
teeth. I knew the answer. Honestly, I did!
What
worries me the most, was how completely blank my mind was when I went to search
for this answer at that moment in time. I’m sure at least half of the most
intoxicated beings at the craziest party you’ve been to could easily burp out
something about evaporation or clouds, tell you that the year usually starts
off with January or something, and that 25 letters in the alphabet sounds about
right (close enough). The answers we need are right there in our minds or at
the very least, still hanging on by a thread. But how long does it take for
that thread to break?
The
extensive capacities of our minds are so incredibly vast – an infinite organic
matrix that begins as empty pockets. The ideas and concepts that we discover in
school, in university and in general life, become the particles that fill these
pockets; the two notions coupled by constant consideration and practice. The
inspirations that we encounter along the way initiate more and more pockets to
be filled, which become stabilised in our minds over time. Our inner
consciousness and sense of existence grows, pigmented by our individual
personalities and characteristics.
The
consequences of being complacent become more severe as time goes on and I’ve recently
rediscovered a greater respect for time and our human capabilities. No matter
where you are in life, I hope that you’ll be able to feel more optimistic about
the incredible mind that you were born with. And to those of you who are about
to begin or have just begun a new school year, I wish you all the very best
with your hopes and goals. I've decided that now is a pretty good time for me to come back down to Earth. On that note, don’t be the delusional drunk who forgot how clouds
are made.
Love,
Julie T.
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