Patch Blog: Top 10 Santa Wish List

So okay, this is another version of the same Christmas column I’ve written for probably the last 8-10 years. But what’s more traditional than the holidays and the Bruins not playing in the Rose Bowl?

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 Dec. 25, I used to get so excited I couldn’t get to sleep, and when I finally did I couldn’t wait to wake up. These days I have to take melatonin and wake up at 5 a.m. no matter what (it’s just not the same.)

First thing I’d do every Christmas 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, just thinking about those magical mornings gives me a serious case of some warm fuzzys.

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 kidding me? Decades before DiCaprio, the big boat, and the ice berg; I clearly remember what it felt like being 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.

I guess when this time of year arrives it’s easier remembering how lucky I was being surrounded by a family generous with both unconditional love and support. So why not be on the giving side of the equation?

I’ll paraphrase something a trusted mentor once said; he said if you look and listen for some serious warm fuzzys, you’re way more likely to find ‘em. And that goes double for health care providers.

Making porcelain crowns fit perfectly is pretty cool. Treating periodontal disease is a noble commitment. Building beautiful smiles takes an artist. But providing care, taking a human interest, and making a personal difference is the stuff that makes parents proud. The greatest gift I’ve ever heard of is fulfillment and I know it’s somewhere around that Silver Tip. Only way to find it is to keep on looking, asking, and listening.

And…without further delay and with some serious New Year optimism, this is my annual Top Ten Santa Wish List, almost totally devoid of sarcastic, un-Christmas-like shots at local government, former Vice President Cheney, and troubled, troubling UCLA bruin football.

#10: Dental drills become as silent as Sarah Palin facing Katie Couric. Dental materials all taste like pancakes or chocolate chip gelato.

#9: Dental insurance programs suddenly realize it’s not 1970 anymore and finally establish annual maximum benefits allowing for more than one crown per year. Time for dental benefits to finally say goodbye to Disco.

#8: The U.S. realizes health isn’t political. “We’re #33!” I don’t think so.

#7: Temple City wakes up one sunny SoCal morning to discover the last 20 years of local government was just a bad dream.

#6: Random acts of violence become random acts of kindness.

#5: After a 40-year break, “One giant step for Mankind” is back in style.

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

#3: When I say, “almost done” to someone for maybe the eight time, the patient does not retaliate.

#2: The mighty Trojans will beat the peace loving Bruins 50-0 at the Coliseum!!! Oh. I forgot.

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 happiness in 2012.

Merry Christmas!