Williams Center dentist
takes a bite out of hunger
“Hi, Peter, How are you?” the man said as he stuck out his hand. He was dressed in a sharp U of A Football fan outfit with big “A” sun glare stickers under his eyes. Those things were hard to ignore. I found myself staring at them all the while we talked.
It was Saturday morning at the Rincon Market and I was deeply engaged in rolling coins from the past week’s donations. As I stood up to shake the man’s hand I suddenly recognized him. It was my dentist, Dr. Su-Wen Chang.
I have a deep respect for this man for two reasons: He’s a highly skilled dentist and he also has a very charming chairside manner. Before he ever says “open wide” he takes a few minutes just to talk. He knows about One Can A Week and he remembers our conversations. I’m always amazed at his ability to picks up right where we left off even if it’s been many months since I’ve had an appointment. I don’t know about you, but I can’t even get my close friends to do that.
Dr. Chang said that he just had a birthday and he told his staff that instead of gifts he wanted everyone to donate to the Community Food Bank through One Can A Week. He suggested I call Carmen, his receptionist … and everything else important at the front desk for that matter … to set up a time to pick up the donations.
When I arrived to make the pick up, Dr. Chang greeted and escorted me back to the lunch room. There on the floor were a half dozen stuffed shopping bags. It took three of us to carry them to my car.
With my disdain for suffering of any kind, I love going to the dentist because I know within an hour or so of plopping down in the chair my troubles will be behind me. And with the way Dr. Chang takes care of me, I’m now finding that I even enjoy getting the bill in the mail. It’s turned from a reminder of a financial obligation to a thought of a friend I care a great deal about.
Everyone needs a dentist but everyone needs a Dr. Chang more. Please give him a call the next time a tooth starts to take over your life. (520) 748-8186.
My Kingdom for an Alternator
The battery and alternator light started to wink at me on Monday. Not too often and not with any regularity. Initially I thought the battery cable had shimmied loose. It had but did not solve the problem of blinking warning lights. Then a few days later those two red lights came on and stayed on. And as in the past my considerate Cabriolet was just a few blocks from home allowing me to park in my driveway and sigh in relief. (Notice the Cabriolet resting in the background.)
That was Friday and enough time to get a new alternator but my SS ship does not come in for four more days. This means I was forced to create a new way of collecting the food. The answer turned out to be a hand truck, a duct taped plastic bin and a comfortable pair of shoes.
About half way through my rounds on Sunday I walked up to Aaron’s front porch, hand truck in tow. Immediately he asked me, “What happened to the Cabriolet?” I told him and he said without hesitation, “Oh, you now have a Cabrioleg.”
That was a really funny thing to say and it made me chuckle. What do shrinks say? “If you can name it, you can live with the situation.” Well, I now have a Cabrioleg, not a hand truck and a taped on bin. All is good.
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| Photo Direction by Mike Eddy |
Early Thanksgiving
This year and for the last two years, Kristin Broksas my friend and former neighbor has cooked up a terrific Thanksgiving dinner by herself. And all she asks of her guests is for them to bring a food donation for the Community Food Bank.
Since I had transportation problems, I could not attend this year’s epicurean delight so Kristin delivered the donations she generated to my home on Sunday. Obviously the festivities were a huge success because the food her guest brought stuffed a 3-foot long fabric grocery bag.
This I know. The food and the conversation is the best at Kristin’s Thanksgiving dinner. I also know this … next year I going to have a backup transportation plan.
We collected a total of 308 lbs. of food. The money we donated amounted to $57.00, a $25.00 check and $27.00 in cash.
Special Note: With the Rincon Market’s 114 lbs. and Catalina Vista’s 88 lbs. One Can A Week accounted for 510 lbs. of food this week. Yes!
See you Sunday,
Peter
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