“You have a really nice smile,” some dude named Chris messages me on Tinder.

I look at it amused and reply: “Aw, you meant that as a compliment. But I am literally sitting at the orthodontist’s office right now.”

My teeth are my least attractive quality. My dislike of my teeth has grown so bad that I don’t even look people in the eyes anymore – I look at their mouths while they speak. And I always notice their teeth.

I compare their teeth to mine. It is an unhealthy obsession. So something Terry said once all of a sudden resonates with me. Embrace yourself, it is profound:

As long as you exercise and eat healthy, everything else can be changed.

For a price, of course.

Throughout the autonomy project I have worked hard to accept my body. And I have – save for three teeth: two that stick out and one that is sunken back. So I’ve decided to get Invisalign, a clear retainer that functions like braces.

For a couple thousand dollars and 12 to 18 months of inconvenience, I can buy myself some piece of my mind. Anyone interested in reading the Year of the Retainer?

Just kidding…