It's Not Your Fault You're So Gap Toothed

When I was about 8, my sister, her best friend, and I went to a casting call.  I distinctly remember watching her mom speak with the agent and looking at me.  When she came back she told me that I wouldn't be selected because of the small gaps between my two front teeth and the rest of my top row.  Gaps are big now, I get it.

Yesterday, I was really sick (nothing a little Dramamine couldn't fix), so I've been having very light meals throughout the day today.  Tonight, I had mango, watermelon, and jocotes (a local fruit about the size of a grape that has a very sour flavor).  I began with the mango and as I began to peel it, I noticed some friends.  There were white, almost transparent, worms, smaller than a grain of rice coming out of my mango.*  I, of course, screamed.  My host mom responded by taking it away and replacing it with a different kind of mango.  This time, I approached with greater caution; peeling off chunks attached to the rind or cascara.  As I gained greater confidence, I asked my host dad if I could just eat it like an apple.  "Of course, the seed is the best part."  I then proceeded to make love to this last part of the mango.  When I finished devouring my prey, I was left with mango in every last crevice of my teeth. 

As I flossed as though my life depended on it, I noticed my teeth that were closer together had very heavy chunks wedged amongst themselves.  Never, in my life, have I been more grateful for that gap in my teeth. 

*The worms are not parasites, as most kids and adults eat the mango with them there and go on to lead successful and fulfilling lives.  They are instead, a result of buying your fruits and vegetables pesticide free.