It’s one of the least comfortable aspects of a visit to the dentist, isn’t it? “Now, open wide” the hygienist will gently instruct. We comply, all the while wondering inside our heads, “How wide? And for how long?” But, of course, we know it’s the only way she can get a good look at our pearly whites, clucking her tongue at the spots that reveal we’ve been enjoying our coffee and tea. Trying our best not to gag, we brace our jaw for the long haul as the scraping, picking, grinding, buzzing, and swishing commences.
How wide is something we may wonder about as we live in our culture today. We generally think it’s a positive thing to have an open mind. But there’s wisdom in that clever quip attributed to Carl Sagan: “It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.” With so many variations in family constellations and sexuality and lifestyles and clothing trends and hair colors and body art and on and on, we may wonder how wide we are to open our minds, not to mention our hearts. What do we tolerate and how much do we embrace? Whom do we admire and which do we criticize? What causes our jaws to drop and when do we bite our tongues?
Speaking up, speaking out, speaking against is best seasoned with discernment. We love our freedom of speech! But dissing someone or shredding something publicly – openly – may not be the better part of wisdom. Yet there are times when and places where it might be the most courageous act we can do. A Star Trek thing to do: “to boldly go where no man (or woman!) has gone before.” We might risk being branded as brash. We could be accused of sticking our nose where it doesn’t belong. And we may alter the outcome of a difficult situation. Or we might change another’s life for the good.
In the preface of her stunning book Daring Greatly, Brené Brown writes, “Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement… When we spend our lives waiting until we’re perfect or bulletproof before we walk into the arena, we ultimately sacrifice relationships and opportunities that may not be recoverable, we squander our precious time, and we turn our backs on our gifts, those unique contributions that only we can make.”
How wide will we open our minds, our hearts, our mouths? How deeply will we discern? How boldly will we engage? Perhaps questions to contemplate while sitting in the dentist’s chair!
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