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{ outreach in action } by Paul Roberts • Foundation & Outreach Director


The Power of Our I


n a world where grammar has gone to die and so much communication is reduced to characters and emojis, the pronoun is making a comeback. You remember the pronoun—that helpful little tool that identifies people and objects so that sentence struc- ture can flow more smoothly? Rather than write, “Dr. Smith asked the patient, Mrs. Thomas, how Mrs. Thomas’s vacation had been and added that Dr. Smith’s recent trip to the Burning Man Festival had been memorable”, we can instead write, “Dr. Smith asked HIS patient, Mrs. Thomas, how HER vacation had been and added that HIS recent trip to the Burning Man Festival had been memo- rable”. Details and grammar rules do matter.


But more importantly, the pronoun is experiencing rebirth in large part due to our culture’s emphasis on personal identity. Pos- sessive pronouns are words that demonstrate ownership. They often steal the show in our individualistic milieu—my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, our, ours, its, their and theirs. While they serve a useful function, they seem to be more prominent in expression these days. Perhaps you’ve seen email signatures or resume submissions that indicate “reference preference”—like Paul (He/His/Him). I un- derstand and support the need to be known as a unique individual and respectfully addressed as such. But this fueled my trippy mind to ponder the power of “our”.


What a great pronoun! It’s at the heart of every healthy community, and it’s the foun- dation for mutual belonging. Like, “This is our state association” or “I had a great time at our family reunion”. It’s inclusive and warm and attractive. It’s a rallying point for shared interests and goals. “I hope our team wins this weekend.” “We hope our children turn out to be good adults.”


30 focus | NOV/DEC 2021 | ISSUE 6


It’s always good to ask the question why. One can sift out value and priority when asking why. Like why join the MDA? Or why marry this person? Big decisions have big conse- quences (and big rewards). In many cases once you answer the why, the collective will outperform the individual. It’s like striking the “y” from “your” and ending up with “our”.


There’s some sacrifice and risk involved in embracing “our” as a pronoun, but there’s also unique comfort, power and reward. There’s always fear of the unknown in life but finding “our” way draws on more resources, talent and courage than walking solo. Abrasive people can be found inside “our” but so can some unexpectedly delightful and lifelong friendships. I have witnessed both in my decade at the MDA. Bringing change to anything (insurance, anyone?) is never easy, but is it better to scream into the abyss or join arms and storm the Bastille together? Mobility and agility in the short term are often impaired when trying to win consensus among “our”, but I’m also reminded of the apt proverb I mentioned last issue, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. Together is essential to even having an “our”.


Here’s a paradox sentence based on this theme. “Our country was built on rugged individualism”. We love to celebrate the pioneer, the risk-taking bravado of a singular person, the bet-on-yourself hero. This was


the model for dentistry for a long time—solo practitioners carving out a practice alone. But inevitably some issue or need arises and the “solo” has want of an “our”. Similar voices unite and are heard easier, advantages are gained that benefit many, hands join to make heavy loads lighter. It’s the power of our. It’s been working for the MDA since 1865.


The MDA needs this “our” in this hour. The dental landscape is more diverse than ever before. Generational differences and new concepts and ever-changing politics are not for the weak of heart. Community is hard work. I saw it in many passionately voiced views at the recent House of Delegates. But those voices were heard because the “our” was in place. Hope and confidence are mul- tiplied in the “our”. What the MDA can do as “our” far outweighs what it can do for you.


I get the tendency toward self-preservation, and it hits close to home when Toby Keith sings, “I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I, wanna talk about number one, oh my me my.” But every person must fight against the silo mentality. We live together on a larger dental farm. It takes effort to listen, compromise and embrace different views when they arise (just ask your firstborn about your second child’s arrival)! However, without the effort, you can’t have that family picture and enjoy the fruits of sharing the “our”.


Best wishes for a happy holiday season with the “ours” of your world, and here’s to growing the MDA in 2022 through the Power of Our. f


Contact Paul at paul@modentalmail. org.


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