That Which Matters Most

That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.

~ Lululemon

Today I went to the dentist. Doesn’t particularly sound spectacular except for the fact that it’s been nearly 3 years since I last had a visit. And that was in Canada. And so now, in a completely different country – an entirely different hemisphere – I booked in to see a South African dentist. Talk about going international.

Not only was I due for a check-up and clean, but I also knew I was due to get one of my molars sorted. Back during the days of walking 8-9hrs/day along Te Araroa Trail, I had a moment of which a piece of my molar broke off. Or its filling – it wasn’t entirely clear. Regardless, the event left a deep hole into my molar, causing me to have to develop a brand new skill of sucking food out of the hole every time I ate. Joy.

There wasn’t much I could do about it until now for the simple fact that I’ve been on a backpacker’s budget and dental work such as what I wanted wasn’t exactly considered emergency-related. I couldn’t get it covered by insurance. And no matter what job I ever possessed in New Zealand, dental work is never covered. As such, I am apparently part of the normal population who waits years in between dental appointments due to the sheer magnitude of a bill they receive at the end of each visit.

But today I went. I had chosen the dental office out of a series of random phone calls to various locations in order to figure out which would be the best price to go to. Sure, dental work may not be covered in New Zealand, but because of that, dentists are fighting to bring in new patients. It was almost like shopping the streets of Mexico in that I had all the power. I bartered my way into an office that had the friendliest reception staff and when I finally arrived today, I was slightly taken back by the homey feel of the reception area. This wasn’t just about visiting the dentist. This was about visiting family.

After seeing the hygienist who cleaned my teeth, gave me some dental floss and informed me that not only should I stop brushing so hard (my gums are putting up a protest), but that I should be careful with how much I chew the insides of my cheeks (stress), stop grinding my teeth (stress) and that the hole in my tooth might have a cavity. I wasn’t surprised at that last one. She then hustled me out to go and officially see the dentist.

He was able to take some x-rays and in doing so, figured out quite quickly that, yes, I do have a cavity in the holey molar. The only worrying factor was that the decay had progressed quite closely to the nerve which could me bad news for me in the near future. So he suggested immediately fixing it, which I was all for until he stated the cost of everything would come to $500. Right. Not the kind of money I have lying around even though I just got paid. When I told him I didn’t have that amount with me, he responded by moving my chair back and got busy numbing my molar. Before I knew it all sorts of drilling tools were in my mouth and with no time at all he was setting the filing to harden. He asked if I had heard of the movie Pay it Forward. I had.

He then left the room and had his assistant hygienist work out a price for the work that was done. I ended up paying only $300 for the whole appointment. Craziness.

I left the dentist chair feeling completely humbled. It wasn’t just the dentist. It was everything – New Zealand in general. The culture here is immersed in the philosophy of paying it forward. No one ever seems concerned with who owes who what. There is simply an understanding that everyone will take care of everyone else. I mean, really – how many other places are there where you can walk into a business such as a dental office and spontaneously get a massive discount simply because you need the work done but can’t afford it that day?

Where else can you go where people will simply just hand over their car keys (thanks Cat) so you can drive the 2 hours to your appointment? Where else can you go where people let you live in their house while they’re away on holiday – giving you full reign of their pantry? Where else can you go that when disaster strikes people pull together so fast you almost wish it would happen again just to hang onto that raw feeling of community just a little bit longer?

Not many places I have been do have been like it has here in New Zealand. To wake up every day and know that there will be complete strangers to take care of you. Because they want to. Because they can. Because they know that is what is important in life. Not money. Not things. Not a busy schedule. What’s important are the people around us. Doesn’t matter if they are family, friends or otherwise. Everyone is human and deserves a break once in a while.

So – as it stands, with all that has happened today – I am due to pay it forward. I don’t know to whom. I don’t know what it will be. But I do know that I will pay it forward.