Part of the joy of being a general dentist for thirty-five years was that I provided a wide variety of patient services in addition to routine restorative care. It was most satisfying to diagnose and resolve challenging issues, contribute to oral wellness, or boost one’s self-esteem. And, while I developed a greater affinity for some services than others, you could honestly say that I was a “jack of all trades.”
I’m reminded that, as a boy growing up in the Fifties and Sixties, I watched my dad fix anything that broke. TV not working? Find which tube is the problem and replace it. Toaster quit? Take it apart and rewire it. Car running rough? Replace the points and spark plugs. Yeah, my dad was handy, and I admired him for it.
By working with, and learning from my dad, I became handy too. The ability to think a problem through to a successful conclusion has always given me joy. And that didn’t stop just because I retired from dentistry.
I’ve long been supportive of my wife’s involvement in community theater, but retirement gave me the opportunity to do much more. Sometimes I construct a special prop needed for a show, like a model biplane with a working propeller. I often help with set construction for one or two of the five shows our theater group produces each year. And a few times I’ve been cast in a play and work on stage rather than behind it. It’s all great fun and quite satisfying.
I was most surprised to be honored by our community theater with an award during this year’s annual program recognizing the contributions of the many who make our shows the successes they are. It seems that the various ways in which I support the theater earned me the title of “Mr. Versatility.”
It was a humbling moment, and one I’ll long cherish. Sometimes it’s perfect to be a “jack of all trades.”
“I’d rather be a jack of all trades, than the master of one.”
J. C. Kerr, Jr.
