July 21, 2005
Week 13 - Everybody's A Critic
Episode 4
Harry stares at her. “You had a transcendent experience at the dentist’s office!”
“Yes, during my cleaning.” Celeste shakes her head. “I… I’ve never felt anything like it before… It was extraordinary…”
“You better explain yourself woman, before I call the funny farm!”
“It’s… I’ve always been a terrible dental patient… Ever since I can remember, I can’t stand to have anything touch my teeth… So, even for something as simple as a cleaning, I need to have sweet gas.”
“All right…”
“So… Well, you know I’ve been feeling a little bit lost lately… like I can’t justify my existence on this earth…”
Harry nods. “Yeah, yeah… Godless universe, impossibility of meaning, I’ve heard the song.”
“Right… So… The dentist gave me the sweet gas… and, as it was taking effect, I felt myself drifting away… and I started thinking about everything that’s been bothering me… About the mystery of existence and the pointlessness of life… And suddenly…” She looks at Harry. “Suddenly I understood!”
“You understood what?”
“Everything! The nature of consciousness, the purpose of the universe, everything! All the answers I’ve been searching for my whole life!”
“Okay… So don’t leave me in suspense here… What is the nature of consciousness and the purpose of the universe?”
“But that’s just it! I can’t remember! When the gas wore off… the dentist was telling me to spit and I was so happy! I felt so at peace… But then, as I was rinsing with that little paper cup… I stared at the blood and I suddenly realized…” A terrible look of despair fills Celeste’s face. “It was all gone… all of it!”
“You can’t remember anything you figured out?”
“Only the feeling of… of fulfillment I felt when I finally knew the answers. But now it’s vanished and I feel more lost then ever!” She shakes her head. “Harry, what am I going to do?”
“Um... Well… think of it this way… it’s not all bad…” He looks at her. “At least your teeth are nice and white…”