Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Don’t know about you guys, but I’ve finally come to grips with the proposition that it’s hard to find what you’re not looking for.

And I’m a dentist; and I’m looking for smiles…even when we’re all wearing masks. There was even a time when my tag with colleagues was “Smilin’ Jack” (even though my favorite AKA was “Air Dentist” when I still had Hip Hop hops.)

Our dental practice’s declared purpose is “Making a world class difference for others and making dentistry fun.” Our core values acronym is “FFEARLESS.” The two non-expletive Fs stand for Family and Fun.

But pandemics, murder hornets, and revealing systemic racism fall short of the stuff causing laughter and smiles; not to mention layers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that stand in the way of Covid-19 infections…and stellar communication.

We just did return to providing dental care and serving one another, our patients, and the community like family. And the challenge to keep the family functional has been a little problematic. The vision is big. And the experience all begins with a conversation, our doing most of the listening, and two people sharing a smile. Precious few minutes can generate the magic where trust and a partnership can emerge.

Two weeks ago, we posted an image of us all totally donned up in PPE; it got 420 Likes on Facebook. We wore cap and gowns, shields, goggles, two masks, gloves, scrubs, and loupes and looked like the transparent plastic version of Monty Python’s Black Knight. I think we might have even received some pity smiles.

The post got me to thinking and re-evaluating. During a time when we wear two layers of masks and smiling looks like staring, maybe displaying physical humor is the opportunity we’ve been missing. Maybe not.

I’m used to telling short stories and deftly commenting on pop culture, sports, food, and Sicilians. Now, all I get is “Huh?” And I can feel the flop sweat on “Hello” before the morning huddle even begins. This week, Team Leader Dani went to McDonald’s and brought back sundaes for an afternoon treat. And, I left the building without even touching my ice cream. What’s next, leaving Lasagna on the plate? If you can’t even eat ice cream with your friends, how’re you gonna manufacture smiles coming from folks lying down with their mouths open waiting for dental power tools?

I needed to do some research. I found out there are three theories of humor. They are relief, superiority, and incongruity.

I’m all in for relief. Freud viewed the Relief Theory as a function of releasing psychic energy and who doesn’t think that’s fun?

The Superiority Theory is like “I don’t need to outrun the bear, just you and your donuts.”

Incongruity seems a little too complex for me. But my take is an old guy wearing baggy pants, a red tie down to his knees, and three inches of orange makeup being embarrassed by thought of wearing a mask. Ha!

So, patients laugh when they are relieved by dodging a root canal or if they get to see the hygienist, but not me. I laugh when I trade in my N95 mask and my own CO2 for my vastly superior looking outdoor USC Trojan mask and the Oxygen that comes with it. And who can deny the incongruity of an old guy like me almost pulling a hammy trying to learn new tricks? It’s the freakin’ Coronavirus humor hat trick!

And nobody I know says these days are easy. But always look on the bright side of life…if you ever hope to find it…and a smile.