Wet Toothbrush Test

I did something this morning I haven't done for quite a while. About 48 years. I checked a toothbrush to see if it was wet.

When I was very young and had been given responsibility for brushing my own teeth my Mom used to periodically check my toothbrush to see if it was wet as a sign of compliance. The technique has very limited usefulness. Once a kid realizes what's going on it becomes a no-brainer to go in and give the toothbrush a quick bath rather than the teeth. Of course, that too is short lived as the attentive mom starts to watch the clock as well as checking for use. Such a struggle. In spite of a sometimes difficult learning curve, my toothbrushing compliance is really quite good these days. There are times when the mid-day brushing gets missed but, by and large, I'm quite faithful with my sonic brush and various flosses.

So this morning I followed the same routine as ever: I floss, I brush, I rinse, and then I spend about 15 to 20 minutes doing stretching and balance and core strengthening exercises. Frankly, there's not a whole lot of thinking going on as I move through my morning routine half asleep. But, somehow, today was different. I was thinking about an up-coming family trip and then I was thinking about a difficult case I'd had recently. I must have been distracted because, as I turned the corner toward the shower I looked at the toothbrush rack and I wasn't sure. Had I or hadn't I? There's only one way to be sure-- the brush was wet. Job done.

It's hard when you first start to lose your mind. I thought it might help me come to terms with it if I went public. So far I'm okay with what happened. Now, if I start wetting the toothbrush just to trick myself into believing I've brushed...