Mark Hartley, Editor
One day last month, the wife asked her routine question: "What did you do today?" I replied, "I looked at pictures of attractive women all day." It was not a routine answer for me, and, yes, it was a painless work day. Actually, when RDH published its announcement for cover models in the September issue, I wasn`t expecting to devote a full day to this "somebody`s got to do it" task. It turns out I was rather naïve about it, thinking two or three dozen readers would respond. What happened was that 124 readers responded.
Whew! All those photos to pore over, deliberate on, etc. Man, it was hard work! The thought then occurred to me that I could just use them all. I got the calculator out and figured out that the magazine now has enough cover models for the next 101/2 years. Sometime during the summer of `09, we`d run out - `09, as in the year 2009. I`ll be 54 years old, griping and sweating while cutting the grass, and I`ll have this thought as I point the mower around the oak tree out front: "I gotta find me some more cover models." Since, in all likelihood, I will have forgotten about celebrating the new millennium way back when, I certainly will have forgotten what fun it is to spend a day at a desk looking at photographs of attractive women.
Unfortunately, there`s this law in life: For every hygienist who retires, a certain number of hygienists will graduate from school. So, say, 15 to 17 months from now, while the millennium celebrations are still vivid, I`ll have to send out another call: Any hygienists interested in posing for an RDH cover? And I`ll have to spend another day looking at the pictures. The wife might ask how the day went. But it won`t be quite so pleasurable next time. Why? My thinking is that there`ll be more male hygienists responding (we didn`t get a single one this time). Isn`t that right, guys? The RDH cover is not restricted to the female gender.
In regards to the 124 photographs of females that I studied closely last month, I want to say, simply, "Thanks." Thank you for your interest in being involved with RDH. I imply above that I spent all my time looking at the photographs. That`s not true. Most of the day was devoted to reading the heart-warming letters written by the "models" about the joy they experience waking up every morning to begin another day as a dental hygienist. The enthusiasm just bowled me over. The love that you have for your profession, employers, and patients is truly unique.
As you might have figured out by now, I sneaked 13 more "models" from Tulsa (RDH`s home) onto one more cover. The second-year class of dental hygiene students at Tulsa Community College also responded to the magazine`s announcement last September. I told them, "Why don`t you wish the RDH readership Happy Holidays?" I would like to join them in their sentiment, and I wish that 1999 is your best year ever.
