You know that phenomenon of perception where you don't particularly notice something until someone points it out to you, or it becomes personally relevant, and suddenly you notice it all over the place?

I have a dentist appointment today. Looming. I've been dreading it for two solid weeks. And everything in the universe has been pointing to it: Ben talking about dentists, Josh talking about dentists, junk emails trying to sell me dental insurance, billboards advertising floss, instore promotions for White Strips...