The Daily Grind: The Big Time

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Big Time

I never would have realized when I was asked to begin blogging for The Daily Grind what an amazing opportunity this would be. When this venture began, it was what I thought would be a chance for me to test the waters of the blogging world. I have never considered myself a “writer.” In fact, I despised writing assignments my entire life. I now recognize it wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy writing, it was that I didn’t care for my previous subject matters.

Now I have the freedom to discuss what really matters to me, from writing about my passion for the AGD, continuing education (CE), and Fellowship, to dealing with treatment failures, patient dental plans, and my appreciation of the staff who makes me who I am. I’ve touched on many subjects in my short time here and, nonetheless, I never would have expected to be invited to have one of my previous blogs published in AGD Impact, nor did I think I would be invited to write a wrap-up article for the magazine on the AGD 2014 Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Detroit.

Admittedly, I am thrilled to be a voice of our professional organization, but you can imagine my surprise when a freelance writer contacted me—the little girl from Port Huron, Mich., who used to run around the woods playing make-believe by herself just to stay entertained—to participate in a story that the writer was preparing for Reader’s Digest.

I was skeptical at first, thinking that maybe this was some sort of scam, because, really, my thought was, how does the magazine even know about me? Well, it was from here, on this platform, that freelance writer Nancy Kalish came across my blog entries and felt that I had something worthwhile to share. I did some background checking to confirm her status and, in fact, she was who she claimed to be. So I told her I was in. I stated that I would be more than happy to participate in her article, though still, in the back of my mind, I was thinking this wasn’t ever going to make it to publication.

We discussed the story, and then, via email, she sent me the questions she wanted me to answer. That was in May of this year. She told me that it wouldn’t likely make publication until the fall and that was it. I heard nothing and forgot about the article, until a few weeks ago when a distant cousin posted to my Facebook timeline, stating that he saw my quotes and name in Reader’s Digest. WHAT??!!! Oh my goodness, I was ecstatic and surprised! I really hadn’t a clue that it was finished and in circulation.

I promptly called my friend who I knew subscribed to the magazine and made her check her mail; she confirmed it for me. I immediately had to buy every copy available at our local bookstore. The reality for me was that I was in a national publication, and I was the only DDS who participated! I was happy and honored to represent my profession. I would have proudly exclaimed my association with the AGD if I had been given the opportunity, but that attribute was not included in the writer’s list of questions.

So, as I reminder, take those chances, push yourself—believe that you can and will meet the goals that you never even realized were a part of your future.

If you would like to read the article—you may even have it in your reception area—it is the cover story for the November 2014 issue. You also can find it online.

As a member of the Michigan AGD board of directors, I was encouraged to share this exciting news with the AGD.

Thank you again to the AGD for providing me with my previous opportunities, as well as any upcoming ones! I encourage everyone to become involved, in something, at some level—don’t let your life pass you by.