I woke up this morning with the scariest sight. I looked in the mirror, and saw something so shocking, so disturbing, so, so.. space-y.

I have a GAP between my two front TEETH.

(!!!!)

I must say, when it comes to the care and upkeep of my mouth, I have to say I have the worst of luck. I inherited my horribly shaped chompers from my mom's side of the family, along with my bad eyes and childhood obesity, and because of her horrible genes, I have to and had to suffer through years and years of painful and stressful teeth related pains and hurts.
when I was in elementary school, I noticed that one of my front teeth was not growing in the spot that it was supposed, but at the very top of my lip (how is that even possible?) because my baby tooth was incredibly stubborn, and would not loosen up. I always had a horrible, horrible time trying to loosen and get rid of my first set of teeth, but for some reason they liked to stay in their place, and as a result in grade five I had to get 12, count 'em TWELVE teeth pulled.
apart from the senior citizens getting teeth pulled for dentures, it really seems like a record, doesn't it?
(also, because of this whole getting-a-bajillion-teeth-removed thing, I also have a slight [only slight] fear of oral needles, but that's a completely different story and I'd rather not veer off path)
the next year, apart a very depressing and tearful trip to the orthodontist (I was very traumatized over the fact that I could no longer eat gum or popcorn), I got my Jaw Expander.
this beautiful instrument, which was situated in the roof of my mouth from grade six all the way to a few months ago (I am now in grade 11), was torturous. how it worked was, well, we were given this key, which wasn't really much of a key, it was more like a thin wire with a plastic handle, and this key fit perfectly into a hole in the jaw expander. twice daily, someone would have to place the key inside the Jaw Expander, then turn it, causing the metal contraption to wider, thus forcing my jaw to grow wider as well (hence the name Jaw Expander).
not only did it feel like my bones were splitting apart around my nose, it also made me talk weirdly, and I swear to god everyone made fun of me for like, a week because I spit everywhere and stuff. it was so hard to eat.
my teeth were completely FUBAR, with one front tooth above the other, with huge gaps where teeth should be, and my bottom teeth just going any direction they could go (I wonder if anyone thought I was british?), and in grade seven I got my braces, and my front teeth got in place, and with a year or two everything straightened up.
but it was not done!
two botton teeth started growing two years ago, they couldn't come through, I didn't visit the orthodontist for two years, my braces started to break, etc. etc.
I am in grade 11, I am sixteen year old.
I have had braces since grade 7, since I was twelve years old.

My teeth are relatively straight, and things are looking up. Only one tooth is crooked, it seems like there isn't enough room for it, but one more tightening of the braces and it should be able to fit somehow.

but this morning, I woke up with a GAP between my TEETH, and I can't help but wonder if my dental nightmares will ever end.
(I also spent all day at work sticking stirsticks and butter knives and various thin objects through it, hehehehehe)