Silver Fang

9th Grade

Third grade


Now for one of my first traumatic incidents...

Another source of  irrigation on the Elmore ranch was big, long sprinkler pipes that were hand carried from row to row, connected to another pipe, then repeated  all over again until the sprinkler pipes reached the end of the row. These were big round aluminum pipes with sprinkler heads -- very bulky and awkward to handle and haul. We had a special conveyance to load them on which is too complicated to try and describe!  Except to say, it was pulled by a tractor but was basically a big round pipe with a rack on each end. The irrigation pipes were laid length-wise on the racks and transported to the field.

This red trailer was another tool in our arsenal of fun.  We thought we were in the circus and instead of walking the tight rope above ground, we attempted to walk the big pipe when all the sprinklers were in the field.  This worked great until I decided to put my slick sandals on and try to walk the pipe.  One step, two, three steps and bang!  I slipped and straddled the pipe whacking my mouth on it.  I chipped one of my front teeth.  And ran screaming into the house!!!

The next day, anything hot or cold touching that tooth was extremely painful.  (Of course, the nerve was exposed!!!)  Living in a small desert community, my parents opted to travel to my grandparents to consult with a dentist in the Los Angeles area.  The end result --- a solid silver cap was fitted over the chipped tooth and for the next 10 years, I blinded photographers with my smile!!.  And was called "Silver Fang" by some of my classmates!!!  The above picture of me in third grade shows my two front teeth before and the other picture you can see the silver tooth after!

I am amazed as I look back on this incident and wonder why I did not develop some complex with such a blatant, shining object attached to my front tooth!!  I never kept my mouth closed (as evidenced by the many times I had to write "I will not talk in class when someone else is talking" which hasn't changed any to this day!)    And it wasn't because everyone became familiar with it.  I attended 13 different schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade so I had new friends all the time!  I just did not dwell on it or actually even think about it.  I remember that some of my classmates thought my family was rich because I had a silver tooth!

After graduation from high school, my grandparents made it possible for me to have a normal white crown to replace the silver.  And of course, I never again attempted to be a circus tightrope (pipe!) walker again!!