Spaghetti and a Retainer

I don't know what made me think of this. I was standing in the garage, watching the boy haul in the trash bin when I remembered a very vivid memory of high school....

I was sitting in 5th period study hall when I realized I didn't have my retainer in. Whoa crap. I explained to the teacher, and was given a pass to the cafeteria. I had, as usual, wrapped my retainer in a napkin and set it on a tray. Instead of taking it off and putting it where it belonged, I dumped it in the trash. On 'spaghetti' day. There were four huge bags of trash, and I had to find the one with my retainer. The cooks were nice enough to point out the most recent bag - the one that probably had mine in it - and give me a pair of gloves.

After about five minutes of digging through half eaten portions of spaghetti, green beans, texas toast crusts, and half drunk milk cartons, I found it still neatly wrapped in the napkin. Disgusted, but glad I wouldn't have to tell my parents, I went to my locker and got my toothbrush and toothpaste and took it to the bathroom. After scrubbing for about fifeen minutes under the hottest water the school had, I deemed it 'ok'.

I didn't know the cost of the retainer, but had strict warnings not to lose it. I was vigilant about wearing it. When they said wear it all the time except meals - I did. When they said only wear it at night - I did. When they said, wear it every other night - I did. After my freshman year in college I finally got the ok not to wear it. I promptly tucked it in a drawer and forgot all about it.

I've been doing a lot of sorting of stuff in the basement. It's mostly my stuff; my husband's not much of a collector. Although not a packrat, I am rather sentimental. Memories have been floating up, old ones and recent ones, as I clean out and sort the boxes. I look at some things and wonder why it was so important to keep. I look at others, and nearly cry at the memories. A few weeks ago, my parents brought a couple boxes of stuff. In one of them was my retainer. I tried it on. It still fit. Though it didn't make my cry, I can't throw it away. Yuck, I know.