Chat Challenged?

So, I’ve been lucky enough to have been out in the audience, virtually and for reals, when a guy named John O’Leary was speaking. Both experiences arrived, courtesy of the Annual Crown Council Event. And the Crown Council may sound like a group of clandestine Royals, but they’re really a stellar group of leading-edge dentists committed to “doing good” in the community. Temple City Dental Care has been a member for the past 23-years, one of the best choices we’ve ever made.

When O’Leary was 9-years old and street mentored by 11-years-old playground veterans, he copied what he thought was genius and played with fire. The resulting garage explosion took out most of the house and John with it. Suffering burns over 98% of his body, the boy wasn’t expected to survive. I’m witness to his survival as well as his life lessons and wisdom. I’m reading John’s In Awe. Six years ago, I read On Fire.

In Awe sees life through the eyes of the ever curious and spontaneous kids we used to be, the same kids who saw the wonder of each day and embraced the limitlessness of possibility. Don’t know about you guys, but I can relate…to the 12-years old confident dynamo I used to be. What did I want to be when I was twelve? I figured I’d be a starting guard for the NBA Boston Celtics; had to figure what I’d do after retiring (Only NBA qualifications missing later on: speed, size, and talent, but I can still go to the left or right as a dentist.)

In Chapter 17 of In Awe, O’Leary writes about adults missing out on taking breaks; not living intervals the way grade school kids live classroom, recess, rest…100%. Recovery time can be active, thoughtful, or meditative; it might be working out, hanging out with friends, or watching a sunset. Recovery might come in the form of reading, writing, or maybe…ugh, “chatting” online.

And there’s the part where I suck. I’m part of 6-7 American Academy of Clear Aligners (AACA) WhatsApp Chat Invisalign groups; I even manage one. And, I had a key role in an almost award-winning AACA video promoting all of our WhatsApp chats. With predictable typecasting, I played the role of the “get off my lawn” curmudgeon dentist who had to be rehabbed into becoming a true chat believer. Art imitating life?

For the most part, my online colleagues and co-chatters seem to be enjoying endless chat recovery time. And I love ‘em; they’re the best of the best. But you’ll never get a 5 AM “Mornin’!” from moi. And wishing a dentist’s kid Happy Birthday? Seriously? Actually, I wished it 2-days ago.

Do I occasionally sarcastically react to an errant political remark? Hey! I NEVER start that stuff. Plus, what would you do if one of your Invisalign Brothers or Sisters habitually shared obscene stuff like, “Roll Tide” or “Prolly.”

Next thing you know, we’ll be riding in Peloton packs of marauding individual Dentites, virtually confined to our own homes but cycling together; (My Peloton nickname is AirDentist…without a hashtag.)

Sometimes the chat seems like dental school all over again. I’m definitely not in The Circle, but this time it’s like I’m the old guy at the club. Call me paranoid, but there are times I think I’ve killed or “cooled” the chat thread just by contributing a single solid Baby Boomer comment. And the sad part is, 99% of my chat/DDS-types are super-cool (especially for dentists); they’re ALL the cream of the crop Invisalign providers, and with a large component of Canadians, they’re super nice too. For a guy who basically runs his mouth all day, I guess I’m just not a chatter. Maybe I’m chat challenged? With props due to Alanis, “Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?”

And I know John O’Leary would support my going public, being accountable, and apologizing without excuses (about being a lousy chatter and all), and then looking for the barely tapped opportunity to laugh, learn, share, and preach USC Football domination on a platform where I clearly haven’t come close to meeting my childlike curiosity potential.

Time to suck it up and chat better. It isn’t like I haven't retained big time childlike immaturity; see y’all at the next WhatsApp Chat level!