GDA Action April May 2020

April/May 2020 • 7 HOPE “No matter how many times we burst into flames, we can always rise from the ashes.” DR. JAMIE MITCHELL GDA Editor Phone 706.202.9307 [email protected] Shawshank Redemption is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I particularly like the last line. Redd is riding on a Trailways bus heading toward Fort Hancock, Texas and he says to himself, “I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.” It’s hard to believe that five letters, a dash and two digits could put an entire world on lock down. COVID-19 has put an indelible mark on the world’s history. Man has faced plagues, wars, famine, drought, and countless other natural disasters, but none with the economic impact of this submicroscopic infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of an organism. It has invoked widespread fear to the point of causing a run on disinfection products, hand sanitizer, personal protection equipment, and for some strange reason, toilet paper! That last item still makes me scratch my head. It changed the way we socialize from that of a civilization of mostly extraverts coveting a hug or hand shake, to social distancing with a minimum of six feet apart and all other interactions via the internet. It made living a lot less……..human. An old adage says, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” That, my friend, is exactly what we saw happen during this incredibly difficult year. What we witnessed is nothing short of miraculous! An innate part of the human spirit drives us to unite and problem solve together to defeat a common enemy. We showed this attribute in spades. We saw the medical community band together like never before, even to the point of enlisting the help of retirees and senior medical students. Scientists worked day and night to both find a cure and a vaccine. Factories ramped up production for vital items such as masks, shields, ventilators, and even TP, to name a few. We saw dentists become engineers. Our very own GDA member, Dr. Mark Causey, an orthodontist in Cumming, designed a reusable 3D-printed mask framework that uses the filter from a Shop Vac. He also shared this with the world for free with no strings attached. I witnessed firsthand the way that the GDA staff, officers, Board of Trustees, and the COVID-19 Task Force came together with countless conference calls and meetings to make decisions in order keep the members as up-to-date as possible. GDA’s Continuing Education Department staff were able to put together a great number of webinars, some within hours of Governor Kemp declaring Georgia a State of Emergency, to guide us through uncharted territory and alleviate some of our fears. We cannot thank them enough for all their hard work and dedication. As we stood together, I am reminded of an old saying. “No matter how many times we burst into flames, we can always rise from the ashes. Like a phoenix from the ashes they may defeat you, injure you, and abandon you. But they will not, shall not, and cannot destroy you.” Hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes. I hope this finds you well. I hope we find a new normal. I hope we never have to witness such an event ever again. I hope!