Sometimes there is no more of a peaceful place to get work accomplished than in a busy coffee shop, surrounded by other industrious worker bees – all trying to prove that they have very important work to do. It is an inspiring place to be diligent. So on this very random Tuesday, I found myself on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Dickson Street coffee shop. On this particular day, however, it appeared to be a prospective student day for the U of A! So, I was no longer surrounded by the click of laptop keys, but now by eager high school students in awe of their potential collegiate surroundings!

There is a great balance between remaining cool and collected as if you have done this “all your life” and balancing hat with the mom and dad that are right there beside you watching your every move and reaction. This lethal combination made for an entertaining time of “people-watching” on Dickson!

I have the distinct pleasure, and sometimes curse, of being the driver of one of the Arkansas Orthodontics RAZORBRACES.COM Hummers. They are a less than subtle vehicle that can be seen (good and bad) from all areas when in motion. They proudly bear the smiles of some of our Idol Smiles patients on the side and an ever so bright reference to our website available in prominent view. You simply do NOT miss them.

Parked outside the coffee shop, and directly on Dickson Street, the hummer stood. It happened to bear the smiles of two stunning Idol Smiles patients – one in braces and the other with a completed Arkansas Orthodontics smile. One could not avoid noticing their smiles. And for a particular group of young men walking down Dickson, they noticed.

I watched this group of wide-eyed high school students (currently free from chaperoning yoke if their parents) walk down the street. Playing it cool, they walked up to the vehicle and made remarks to each other in reference to the Razorbraces Hummer, maybe noticing the cute girl or the quirky pig bearing braces. The conversation was brief and it was onto the next visual conquest…..except for one young man.

As the rest of his friends walked on, this young man stayed behind. Something had captured his attention. I had to know what. I watched him as he stared at the picture of the pictures o the side. His innocent gaze was fixed on one thing – their smiles. (Of course, this is a good thing!) My heart was struck with what he did next. I watched him reach up his hand and touch his fingers to the picture of the teeth of the young man with braces. The moment was borderline between awkward and moving, until he shifted his weight to the Hummer window with no ‘wrap’ on it and looked at his own smile in the reflection. After looking at his own smile and knowing his time of vulnerability and self examination was over – he caught up quickly to his friends, already far down the street ahead of him.

In a paradox of emotions, I had time to sit there and reason out these last few minutes’ events. What was he thinking? What did he see when he looked in the mirror? What could I do!?!

I immediately became thankful that I had a job with a company I knew made braces “within reach” for some many young men like this one. I was flooded with gratitude that we have remained a low-price leader for orthodontics in the NWA and River Valley area and our clinical director was committed to this end. As the Public Relations Coordinator, I get the honor of being the administrator for a pro-bono program called Arkansas OrthoCare, providing up to 120 patients a year with assistance in their orthodontics. I was overwhelmed with a thankful heart…that we make these smiles possible for so many….like this young man.

This potential student had a longing in his heart for something – and I can only assume from his actions that whatever he saw there on that Hummer grabbed his attention in a unique way. So, thank you , unsuspecting observer, for reminding this busy and distracted Marketing/PR Coordinator why she get sout of bed every day and works so hard for Arkansas Orthodontics…..creating smiles and changing lives.

For more information on our OrthoCare program, click here.