The Roaring ’20s: Hindsight is 2021

In prior years, as February rolled in, most of the dental community has typically been preparing for the always anticipated Chicago midwinter meetings. Speaking from my own experience, in addition to managing a busy laboratory, I spent numerous hours preparing lectures and lecture schedules in addition to the necessary travel itinerary for this auspicious event.

Undoubtedly, midwinter has always been extremely hectic for me, and I am sure it has been for most of you as well. Jumping off the plane in Chicago midweek and spending more time in cabs traveling from one hotel to another, I often believed that I needed a break. I have typically presented approximately 50 lectures per year, traveling both nationally and internationally, so I began 2020 seeking to downsize my lecture schedule, but in February I still managed to work nine lectures in 3 days. I also attended several meetings, caught up with friends, FaceTimed with attendees from all over the world, and of course enjoyed a dinner or two between at least one or two late nights at Chicago's famous BIG Bar.

As we enter February 2021, I am getting the break that I believed I needed. There is no travel, no lecture preparation, and no guilt declining appearance requests. However, after all is said and done, in hindsight, I certainly miss it. I miss the faces of colleagues and friends, the insightful conversations, and all of the work that went along with it. As is true with most things that have not been experienced firsthand, it is difficult to convey the amount of work that goes into preparing one lecture—eg, photography, keynote preparation, case preparation, documentation, etc. Yet, now, all I can think about is when I can begin to teach and lecture again. I am sure that many of you have experienced this sentiment in your own areas of work, not limited to lecturing and/or teaching. All of the hard work is rewarded when we believe that we are possibly offering inspiration to others. For me, this is priceless.

So as 2021 begins, although possibly slower than some of us may have hoped, I am confident that along with myself there are many presenters looking ahead and forward to promising new, roaring dental technology education for the '20s. I am confident that soon we will be face-to-face and learning together again, and I believe that most of us are inspired to get back to our own growth. As upcoming events are scheduled, I look forward to and welcome your support around the world. I encourage you to take advantage of all upcoming educational opportunities, as we have seen the world without the "in-person" experience and have certainly missed it.

Peter Pizzi, MDT, CDT
Editor-in-Chief
ppizzi@aegiscomm.com