Sitting across from me, in the Stone Oak Orthodontics break room , is Dr. Robert “Tito” Norris, one of the nation’s most prominent orthodontists. He flies around the country lecturing on Invisalign, InvisalignTeen and office technology. He has built the first “green” orthodontic practice in San Antonio, TX. He drives an electric-powered sports car (one that he converted from gas to electricity!) He even competes in triathlons JUST for fun! And my pressing question for him today is, “So, Dr. Norris, the samples are in. The biscuits are fresh out of the oven. And I’ve spread the jam on for you. Can you please take a bite and tell me which peach jam recipe you like better?”
Ridiculous as it may seem, that was the task at hand. Unknown to most, every year, when the Fredericksburg peaches are at their prime, a few ladies from Stone Oak Orthodontics head out on a special assignment for Dr. Norris. What happens next remains top secret, but the end result is homemade jam complete with it’s own specially designed “Dr. Tito Peach Jam ” private label. This year, two different versions of the peach jam have been prepared, and Dr. Norris must determine which recipe will be used to produce a secret stash for his office.
After he poses for his pre-taste-test photo, and as I’m flipping through the images on my camera, I hear Dr. Norris ask, rather shyly, “Ummm…Can I eat this now?” I glance up to find Dr. Norris staring at the biscuits in front of him, looking like a little kid on his own birthday who is patiently waiting for someone to cut him a piece of his own cake! After assuring him I won’t snap a picture of him chowing down, he dives in. He samples the two jams and the outcome is an excitable, “Mmmmm….This is INCREDIBLE! The flavor just pops!!!!!” Before I can ask for a formal statement, he finishes off the snack, leans back, and openly confesses that he suffers from OPD: Obsessive Peach Disorder and that as a child he would eat peaches until he was sick!
If you ever find yourself wondering how Dr. Norris has built such a successful and innovative orthodontic practice, the answer is now clear: Peaches! (Of course this conclusion is pure silliness!) And while peach jam may never be your secret source of personal power, should you find yourself in an orthodontic jam, Dr. Tito’s Peach Jam may be just what Dr. Norris orders!
**Note to self: bring fresh peaches to Dr. Norris at his next Triathlon. Meet him towards the end and wave peaches in front of him, but just out of reach. Watch the energy burst from every cell in his body and know that it’s the power of the peach that has pulled him across the finish line!**
