Dental Phobia Distraction

I've been having some dental issues since Friday.  I wouldn't describe what I have been feeling as a toothache.  It's not a throbbing, stabbing, sharp; "I want to blow my head off" pain.  It's more of a twinge or irritation.  Enough, that it probably warrants a visit to the dentist.  I am terrified of the dentist.  I have dental phobia.  I hate going to the dentist.  I have to take a Xanax before I can make the call to make the appointment.  I take Nitrous for a cleaning.

  

It was on my mind all weekend that I would have to make that phone call on Monday.  I wasn't much fun to be around.

  

Ross proposed that we take a drive to take my mind off of my obsessive worrying.   I picked a place from the "Points of Interest" list on my GPS app.  We headed west.  It was a nice drive through the Pine Barrens and Cranberry Bogs.  Our destination was "The Wheaton Arts Center"  in Millville.  By the time we got there,  the Tylenol I had taken earlier was beginning to wear off  and I didn't feel like walking around.  As I said, I wasn't much fun to be around this weekend.   I wanted to head back home by taking the fastest route.  That meant the Garden State Parkway.

Ross was driving; I was intent on my knitting.  

Suddenly, Ross started to pump the breaks.  

"What's the matter?" I worriedly asked.  No response.   "What is it?"  I anxiously wanted to know.

"Something is going on up ahead," Ross said.  "Everyone is slowing down."

 We saw two cars in front of the now slowed down pack.   Both cars were weaving, back and forth between the lanes.  It looked like the driver of a silver car was trying to prevent the driver of a green car from passing him.   A hat was thrown out of the window of the silver car.  Angry fists and hand gestures were flying out of rolled down windows.  

At one point,  the green car pulled off onto the shoulder.  The silver car pulled over in front of it and the driver started to get out.   The door of the green car opened, the driver started to get out of the car, but must have had second thoughts because he got back into his car.  That probably had something to do with the fact that his wife and son were also in the car.  Both cars got back into the flow of traffic and continued with their erratic and dangerous driving.   

Ross pulled out his cell phone and told me to dial 911.  He was transferred to the state police. Ross began to give a blow-by-blow description of the scene. The police took the information including our phone number and said they would check into it.  

Now the silver and green cars were directly in front of us.   My fear was that one or both drivers would pull out a pistol.  I was very scared.  We saw the silver car pull over to the shoulder.  The green car kept going.

The police called us back and asked for more information.  Ross gave them a detailed description of the cars and their current locations.   Apparently, we were not the only ones to report the incident.   

I was very relieved as we approached our exit and left the highway.

As we drove on the country road leading back to our community, Ross and I speculated on what started that road rage.   

Ross said, "See I told you our drive would be a distraction."  


Frankly, I think I would rather be distracted by an intricate lace pattern.


So I made the phone call this morning.  My appointment is on Thursday.