Blog: Top Ten Santa Wish List

And yeah, this is another version of the same Christmas column I’ve written for probably the last 10 years. But what’s more traditional than the Holidays and the bruins not playing in the Rose Bowl if they don’t pay the rent?

So it really doesn’t seem that long ago Christmas held so much wonder I dang near couldn’t handle it.

Don’t know about you guys but back in The Day, beginning a few weeks before December 25, I used to get so excited I couldn’t sleep and when I finally did I couldn’t wait to wake up (sadly, these days I have to take melatonin, Valeria passion flower compound, and use self-hypnosis…and I still wake up at 5AM every morning no matter what.)

First thing I’d do every morning was kind of glide into the living room and then almost fall into a trance just soaking up all the great vibes coming from our totally decked-out Silver Tip. Even now, I’m touched just thinking about those magical December mornings.

And there were some big-time overnight deliveries too. The brand new shiny blue Schwinn Corvette with gears and a speedometer? And my own transistor radio with leather case and earpiece…are you freakin’ kidding me? Decades before DiCaprio, the big boat, and the ice berg; I was, indeed, the King of the World.

But the best gifts of all remain beautifully gift-wrapped memories of my mom and dad and brother and a loving mostly Italian family accounting for just about everybody who was anybody in my life.

And I guess when this time of year arrives it’s easier remembering how lucky I was being surrounded by a family whose currency of The Day was unconditional love.

Guess that's why I was paying attention when a trusted mentor once shared that if you look and listen for fulfillment, you’re way more likely to find it. And that observation also applies to health care providers, including me and my DDS-type brethren.

Making porcelain crowns fit perfectly is pretty damn cool. Treating periodontal disease can change lives. Building beautiful smiles takes an artist. But providing care, taking a human interest, and making a personal difference is the kind of stuff that makes parents proud. Don’t know about you but I know I need to try a little harder to stay in that fulfillment zip code all year round.

But…on a less serious note but without further delay I give you my annual Top Ten Santa Wish List, almost totally devoid of sarcastic, un-Christmas-like shots at local government, Willard Romney, and loser illegal USC Trojan football (maybe…not.)

#10: Dental drills become as quiet as silent prayer in the Playboy Mansion. Dental materials all taste like pancakes, coconut cake, or chocolate chip gelato.

#9: Dental insurance programs suddenly realize it’s not 1970 anymore and abandon annual maximum benefits established BEFORE Disco.

#8: Politicians against Obamacare get to have root canal treatment in the country ranked #37 in dentistry.

#7: Temple City wakes up one bright sunny SoCal morning to discover…RETAIL!!!

#6: Random acts of violence become random acts of kindness (my fav.)

#5: Research shows chorizo burritos with everything are the essence of health, vitality, and longevity (and there’s a genetic link with metabolizing animal style Double-Doubles.)

#4: Adult males in my spin class quit wearin’ those silly lookin’ multi-colored Lycra outfits unless they’re riding the stationary bikes right out of the building (preferably through the window.)

#3: When I say “Almost done” for maybe the 8th time and a patient threatens to retaliate, Singing Dental Assistant Kolleen doesn’t volunteer to “look the other way.”

#2: Loser illegal USC Trojan football Coach Lane Kiffin returns for FOUR MORE YEARS…as a dental student.

And finally…#1: Everyone within six degrees of separation and beyond has a healthy Holiday, feels like a kid again, and successfully looks and listens for peace, prosperity, and fulfillment in 2013.

Merry Christmas!