Last Week or So Today

So, the last time I had writer’s block the Clippers were NBA Champs, I didn’t need rose-colored glasses, and birds suddenly appeared every time I was near. But on the close of January 2020, I felt sort of like former-VP Cheney, trapped in a roomful of kale. So much to consume, and so little desire.

It all started in Jamaica and, honestly, I never thought I’d write those words. I was among friends and colleagues; maybe the coolest bunch of DDS-types I’ve ever known. It was the American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA) Presidents/KOL Winter Conference, an event around sixty of us had anticipated for months. I had lunch poolside at our classy villa on arrival day. I opened my phone to Facebook and read “Kobe RIP.”

When I was a kid, I got a phone call and a similar update on my big brother. Kobe was 41; Jay was 31. Kobe and 13-year old daughter Gianna, along with seven others had died driving distance away from Pasadena in a helicopter crash. It’s been numerous decades since the phone call from Mexico City, but it still seems like yesterday. It’s like we move on with our lives, but the disbelief lingers forever. Our meeting was inspiring. And we also survived a tsunami that never happened. Humor and comradery were all around. But fingers failed to connect with the keyboard.

What followed the AACA meeting was a trip to Nashville and rejoining most of my Temple City Dental Care team; we were visiting the Music City for the 25th Annual Crown Council Event. The Crown Council is comprised of leading-edge dentists and their teams; all of whom are committed to growth, the community, and doing good. The event has never failed to energize our hearts and souls; I’ve never failed to shed a tear.

And it’s not every day you get to walk over to the famous Reyman Auditorium and enjoy the fellowship of like-minded people while you appreciate world class artists performing for a cause. Shucks, we even heard Dolly, from close-up, while she beautifully honored a song, A cappella. Fingers were still failing me now.

My take-away from Annual Event #25, those honoring #8 and #24 (especially coming from the Sunday LA Times yesterday), and my supportive family experience in Jamaica, was appreciating the gift and vision of nurturing a culture of kindness.

I was determined to embrace all the good shared throughout a memorable week and find a way to express it. And realizing we haven’t signed a contract covering the length of time we get to share, I’ll be looking and listening for opportunities to be kind (and I’m not necessarily saying it’ll be easy.)

But, judging from what I saw coming from the country’s leadership during last week’s National Prayer Breakfast, seems like for some, kindness has taken a long holiday. Maybe it’s time for a grass roots movement to give kindness a chance?