Uploaded March 2012 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This isn't for everyone. But who says everything we put on YouTube has to be? This documents a moment I've been waiting for for the longest time. I did think hard about leaving in the shot of myself in the car at the start, where my teeth are clearly visible. In the end, I decided that I wanted to be able to look back. Allowing myself to get to this stage will always be an embarassement to me, but in time I'll learn to forgive myself. I think I've already started.
I believe that we should try our best to learn from our mistakes, and by that process better prepare ourselves to deal with the mistakes we've yet to make. In our finite lives we have a finite number of successes to enjoy, and failures to endure. The combinations of these are unique to each of us, and are an integral part of us, too. If you brush too much under the carpet you're bound to trip yourself eventually.
The anonymity of the internet allows us to pretend to be something we're not. Wiser, funnier, more complicated, more experienced, more aware, more complete: just plan 'more'. Well, I'm all that and less. And I wouldn't have it any other way. In deciding to post these videos about my teeth, I'm essentially repaying the debt that I owe to the internet, and to YouTube in particular. No, it's not a perfect platform, but at it's core is the accumulated experience of our species. I really think it is that grand an enterprise. And apart from the entertainment, education and intellectual stimulation I've gotten from it, I have also come across the all too human stories that my fellow users have shared that have helped me to better understand myself, and know that I'm not alone.
So a video like this, which is unlikely to get as far as 200 views, is still potentially useful to somebody. Some will watch it to get an insight into who I am, some will find it funny, most will decide early on that it doesn't interest them; the overwhelming majority will never become aware of it's existence. And perhaps one or two people who have made this same mistake in their lives, and find themselves walking in my old shoes, will find in it a glimmer of hope that they too can finally put it behind them. And that is reason enough to post, in my book.
This isn't for everyone. But who says everything we put on YouTube has to be? This documents a moment I've been waiting for for the longest time. I did think hard about leaving in the shot of myself in the car at the start, where my teeth are clearly visible. In the end, I decided that I wanted to be able to look back. Allowing myself to get to this stage will always be an embarassement to me, but in time I'll learn to forgive myself. I think I've already started.
I believe that we should try our best to learn from our mistakes, and by that process better prepare ourselves to deal with the mistakes we've yet to make. In our finite lives we have a finite number of successes to enjoy, and failures to endure. The combinations of these are unique to each of us, and are an integral part of us, too. If you brush too much under the carpet you're bound to trip yourself eventually.
The anonymity of the internet allows us to pretend to be something we're not. Wiser, funnier, more complicated, more experienced, more aware, more complete: just plan 'more'. Well, I'm all that and less. And I wouldn't have it any other way. In deciding to post these videos about my teeth, I'm essentially repaying the debt that I owe to the internet, and to YouTube in particular. No, it's not a perfect platform, but at it's core is the accumulated experience of our species. I really think it is that grand an enterprise. And apart from the entertainment, education and intellectual stimulation I've gotten from it, I have also come across the all too human stories that my fellow users have shared that have helped me to better understand myself, and know that I'm not alone.
So a video like this, which is unlikely to get as far as 200 views, is still potentially useful to somebody. Some will watch it to get an insight into who I am, some will find it funny, most will decide early on that it doesn't interest them; the overwhelming majority will never become aware of it's existence. And perhaps one or two people who have made this same mistake in their lives, and find themselves walking in my old shoes, will find in it a glimmer of hope that they too can finally put it behind them. And that is reason enough to post, in my book.
