I made a trip to the dentist yesterday to have a tooth that had broken off reattached.

The dentist was able to put the tooth back in place using at least one pin to connect the two pieces plus some cement to help keep everything in place.

I don’t know exactly what he did because I was not able to see.

However, I did feel everything and listened to the dentist and his assistant as they talked back and forth with what tools and anything else they needed.

I have been going to this dentist for about 20 years and I have faith in the quality of his work.

When he had finished and I was getting up from the chair, he told me that he believed the tooth repair would last but there was a chance I could bite on something hard sometime in the future and then the tooth would break.

I told him that as far as he was concerned the tooth only needed to last about another five years because by then he would be retired and the dentist who replaces him would have the problem.

He smiled and said, “In that case, that repair might not need to last five years.”

Apparently, his retirement is coming sooner than the next five years.

I only need the repair to last until I take my final breath. Then I am done needing any dental work ever again.

Considering my 69th birthday is coming next July, I may be down to a few years myself.

Every morning I go online and read the obituaries in my local newspaper.

My name hasn’t appeared yet, but that day is coming. I just don’t know when.

But it does make for some thoughts about leaving this world as I will take with me the same amount of stuff as when I arrived for the most part.

I arrived in this world toothless and thanks to my dentist I will leave with a few teeth and some things that will look like teeth.

I look around me and wonder about all the other stuff I have and ask myself, “How much stuff does a guy need?”

I have my electronic toys, cameras, and books that provide enjoyment each day. They are important to me but I don’t believe my wife or anyone else in my family values them as much as I do.

My wife has her important things such as her knitting, cookbooks, and electronic goodies, but her knitting needles, yarn, and cookbooks only value to me are sentimental in nature.

I am beginning to understand why people downsize as they realize that those things they worked to accumulate are not as important as they once were.

So, am I ready to start getting rid of things?

No, I am going to hang on to my valuables (valuable to me, anyway) a while longer. I am not through with them yet.

When I am gone, my heirs can pick out what of mine is important to them and everything else will be sold or disposed.

And I do want to meet my dentist’s replacement.

Rye is a Farm News staff writer and farmer from Hanlontown. Reach him by e-mail at crye@wctatel.net.