Amazing things

Sept. 21, 2009
DAD Editor Kevin Henry says, "I’ll make sure to give you articles that will help you see the value in what you do, and how important you are not only to the practice, but to patients as well. ... Dental assistants do amazing things ..."

By Kevin Henry, Editor

As I took a last look at the breathtaking scenery in Moab, Utah, I asked myself the same question I always ask when I leave a travel destination ... will I ever be back here?

Don’t get me wrong ... I’ve already made plans to go back to Moab sometime very soon. I had never been to that part of Utah, and the bluffs and terrain were simply amazing to me (as was the complete lack of cell phone signal, which I found quite relaxing). Part of my trip involved kayaking down the Colorado River, and there were times when I just stopped, put down my oars, and said, “Wow.”

There are several places I want to see again someday soon ... places like the fjords of Oslo, Norway, the view from the top of a mountain in Vail, Colo., and the bluffs of Moab. I’ve been very blessed in my job to be able to see such wonderful places ... and there are still lots of places on my to-go list I’ve never visited (currently topping the list are Greece, Australia, and Alaska).

Not only was the scenery in Moab amazing, so were the stars. I have never seen stars that bright, and it inspired me to write a blog that can you read here.

One of my Facebook friends reminded me after reading my blog that you can find amazing things anywhere you look, and I hope you’ll read my blog and remember that. You may not be surrounded by fjords or mountains, but you can find beauty and meaning anywhere you are ... and hopefully in the people around you.

In the coming months, we’ll have articles in DAD that will hopefully help you be happier in your job and find more meaning in your daily activities. As I say (and truly believe), it’s important for you not to look at what you do every day as a job, but rather as a profession. I’ll make sure to give you articles that will help you see the value in what you do, and how important you are not only to the practice, but to patients as well.

Speaking of your importance, I know you’ll look at the 2009 DAD salary survey results. Thanks to each of you who responded. Reading the comments, I know many of you are disappointed not only with your pay, but also with the respect you see in your practice. I’ve read the comments and taken them to heart, and they’re helping me guide some editorial for future issues of DAD.

Thanks for all you do every day ... you do amazing things. Never forget that.

Read on, this is your e-newsletter ...