This week, I’ll be putting an old saying to the test.
Over the years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of people about all manner of topics. At either end of that spectrum are two types of individuals.
On the one side are folks I like to say “practically interview themselves.” These are the people who are very passionate about the given topic and are more than happy to fill in a reporter on the details. In these scenarios, I typically get to ask just one or two questions and the answers that follow are so verbose that they cover every base imaginable.
On the other end of the spectrum are the folks who answer even the most carefully crafted questions with a one- or two-word answer. Some people just aren’t big on talking, and that’s totally fine. Still, I need quotes and details to fill out a story and interviews that require that much extra digging are frequently described as being “like pulling teeth.”
That was the long way around to saying I’m finally getting my wisdom teeth pulled, so you can guess which category of interviewee I would fall into.
By the time you read this, the oral surgery will have happened nearly a week ago, so hopefully I’m on the mend. As I’m writing these words, though, I won’t pretend that I’m not a bit anxious.
Just about everyone I’ve talked to regarding having their wisdom teeth pulled has had a very similar story to tell. “Oh, I was in a lot of pain for several days and it was the absolute worst, but I’ve heard some people get them out and it’s no big deal at all.”
I find it awfully suspicious that everyone has “heard about” relatively painless recoveries, but nobody seems to have experienced it themselves. It seems a lot like that kid back in high school who “definitely has a girlfriend,” but you can’t meet her because she lives in Canada.
To make matters worse, I managed to schedule my appointment for Friday the 13th and, while I’m not an especially superstitious guy, I don’t see a need to break a mirror or walk under a ladder just to prove bad luck isn’t real.
Truth be told, I’m (relatively) sure things will work out just fine, I’m just not excited about looking like a chipmunk for a week while only being able to eat applesauce and broth. And I’m obviously not looking forward to the pain, either, but hopefully modern medicine will help nip that particular problem in the bud.
A bonus for the folks near and dear in my life is that they won’t have to listen to me ramble on incessantly for a few days, so enjoy the silence while it lasts!
Circling back to my original point, now that I’m about to have four teeth forcefully yanked from my skull, I’m guessing that comparing difficult interviews to oral extractions isn’t going to seem quite as apt moving forward.
Instead of saying, “it was like pulling teeth,” perhaps I’ll just have to start describing those types of interviews as, “it was like an especially vigorous teeth cleaning.”
