The differences between us

I gained a profound new appreciation for the differences between us yesterday. I was sitting in the turquoise chair watching birds feed outside as a soft-skinned assistant’s hand gingerly supported my head from under my chin, keeping it steady, while my oral surgeon calmly pried my stubborn #19 molar away from my jaw for roughly thirty minutes.

I lost count of how many unnerving (literally) cracks I heard. I wasn’t supposed to listen to them anyway—that was his job, he said, with just the right tone and humor to put my wondering mind at perfect ease.

Some job he has too. Can you imagine possessing the qualities needed to be an oral surgeon? Could you wield the training, experience, skill, confidence, and steady hand, all while utilizing precision instruments in people’s mouths—and keeping them at ease—while you dislodge and remove part of their bone structure? I couldn’t do it, I’m not the guy for that.

Branding, connecting, that’s me. Oral surgeon. Nope. But do I ever appreciate my oral surgeon. Yes! The same goes for nearly any skilled profession. Taking a moment to reflect during my recovery, I thought about all the professions, humanity and mutual appreciation that must exist for us to live the way we do. It’s really quite extraordinary.

If we put all the people who care enough to be exceptional together in a room (or a city), it’s like a symphony of sorts, one I am quite thankful to be able to enjoy (albeit with one less tooth).

Kelly Hobkirk - teaching marketers how to harness strategy, goals, reality, and purpose to connect and do better work.

 

Kelly Hobkirk has been helping companies succeed in creative ways for nearly 25 years. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, and books by Rockport and Rotovision. Get exclusive articles when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.

Thank you! This is going to feel good.

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