The definition of "Character"

Character –

As defined by Webster’s

–noun

1.

the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.

2.

one such feature or trait; characteristic.

3.

moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.

Character –

As defined by Grace Eleanor Smith, A.K.A. Mom:

-noun

the jacked-up teeth grown by yours truly, including the canine and incisor which, due to my jaw being too small, proceeded to protrude outward and grow over my other teeth, giving me the appearance of Dracula on a good day and a mix between a jackal and a warewolf on other days.

As a child, it was obvious to both my parents and my dentist, that my teeth were crowded and would never grow properly.  The overcrowding forced my teeth into positions that were just… well for lack of a better term, “jacked up.”  When confronted with the option of braces, my mother always just said, “You don’t need them baby, your crooked teeth just give you “character.”

Character? Seriously Mom?

I guess that being made fun of, in a strange sort of way gave me some character, at least the kind that made me sensitive to others.  I feel however; as if I could have gotten that same character from my faith in God, and from my love of babies, puppies and humankind.

Seriously though, I realize now, after actually paying for braces out of pocket, how expensive they are, and orthodontic treatment wasn’t something insurance covered back in the day. I have only the utmost respect for my mother trying to spin the fact that they couldn’t afford to put me in braces into such a positive light. I really love her for that. God bless her.

So fast forward 38 years. I finally decided that the headaches, the jaw pain, the chronic sinus problems and the overall refusal to smile had overloaded me with character. 

In fact, it was time to find a way to lessen it a little.

So the quest began.......