Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

I officially completed my 2+ year treatment plan today at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that driving back to work, I had the urge to stop at the convenience store and get a cup full of ice and a bag of candy to chew.  Just kidding.  I didn't even want to eat my lunch because my teeth were so clean and polished.  But I managed to down an awesome Ollie's Trolly burger and fries with extra seasoning.  And yes, I brushed and flossed immediately after eating.

Driving downtown to the dental school isn't nearly as traumatic as when my parents would take me to the dentist as a kid.  The trip was 30 minutes of anxiety.  I think it was the start of my ulcer.  I'm sure it wasn't any easier on my parents, either.  I know they dreaded it as much as I did, if not more.  We would travel on the Watterson Expressway, aka I-264, and when we would pass by certain landmarks, I knew we were getting closer to the evil Dr. Lester's office; the airport meant we were halfway there.  But when we passed by the Kaden Tower, I knew danger was eminent.

When we passed by the pink and white Kaden Tower, I knew that I only had about 5 minutes before I met my doom.  Oh how I dreaded seeing that building.  During that period (the late 60s/early 70s) it was the tallest building in the east end of town, so the height combined with it's pink and white design made it really stick out like the proveribal sore thumb.  Oh how I hated to see that building.  And today, I'm still not that crazy about it, either. One of the nicest, priciest restaurants in town is on the top floor of the Kaden Tower - Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.  I've only been there once and that was only because someone else paid for the meal.  And even then, I was hesitant to go.  I still can't stand to see that building - I have flashbacks that make me break out in a cold sweat.

Interestingly enough, the Kaden Tower is quite famous in the architectural world. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's firm in the 1940s, but wasn't built until 1965.  The design was originally for a hotel in India - they decided to keep the lacy white grill work, which would have been very practical in India given the fact there's no air conditioning. I'm not the only one in Louisville that can't stand the building -  we call it "the concrete Kleenax box" or "the pink monstrosity", but it still stands today along I-264, a reminder to me to brush and floss.