Monday, April 28, 2008

The Retirement of John Patterson

The first mention of retirement for John and Elly occurred in this strip from July, 2003. The first monthly letter was this one:

John's Letter, June 2004

To renew, you pretty well have to hire an associate, and getting someone who compliments your style is very difficult I understand, and I'm just not sure I want to get into that. I have worked alone for so long that I don't know if I want the trials and tribulations of working with someone and training them, only perhaps to have them leave. However, at the age of 55 it is definitely time to think about it.

The associate comes in, but without a name.

John's Letter, September 2004

I talked about retirement in past newsletters, but decided to keep working for a while, and in the process decided to bring in a young dentist to try as an associate. We met for lunch a few times, he spent some time in the clinic, and verbally, we seemed to agree completely.

Initially the associate is going to be Eugene Lee, who has a family background which would make him seem more like a potential best friend to April than a dental associate, which may have been part of his problem.

John's Letter, October 2004

I mentioned previously that we had taken on an associate at the practice. His name is Eugene Lee. His great grandparents came from China. He is third generation Canadian. He was named for his grandfather and prefers to be called "Lee". Boy, when he describes the hardships and the blatant abuse that his grandparents went through first in China, then once they got here, it's hard to believe we are in the same country 100 years later. Lee certainly is not suffering like his grandparents did! Already, he has a BMW M3 two-seater convertible, and has a nice apartment, even though he is just starting out as a dentist. He's not married yet - he's all a-loan. Meaning he's got a lot to do before he pays off the Beamer!

John appears to like the associate in this next letter.

John's Letter, February 2005

My associate at the clinic is doing an excellent job, and he's been great about taking over when I'm unable to move! He's also taking all the emergency and on-call appointments. I feel that it might be time to start spending some time recovering and taking care of myself.

However, Eugene Lee does not work out. He is out and Everett Callahan is in. My guess is that Lynn Johnston couldn’t figure out a way to make the associate appear young without him saying “Man” and “Whoa” and still be Chinese-Canadian to boot. It’s easier to do Keanu with a guy who looks like Keanu.

John's Letter, March 2005

I have to say that work is much less stressful now that we've hired Everett Callahan as a full time associate. He is planning to purchase the practice down the road, and is young (28), energetic, and really enthusiastic. He reminds me of myself when I was just starting out, and of how different things were then. It seems that I don't do anything the way we were taught in dental school.

The staff and patients really like Everett, so I don't mind turning the practice over to someone who has a similar philosophy and appreciates what I have developed


The strips from April 18 – 25, 2005 introduce the new associate, Everett, whom April describes as the morsel. His last name is on the nameplate in the office as Dr. E. Ha{rest of the letters cut off}. We find that that he has a goatee and talks like Keanu Reeves. This strip sequence is the most dialogue he has ever in the strips.

Once again, John likes the associate.

John's Letter, April 2005

But enough whining. Work is great with our associate. He has the most amazingly positive attitude that I almost feel guilty for looking forward to winding down. It has been like a breath of fresh air for all of the staff, to be thinking about new techniques, and to be excited when consulting with the patients. You don't realize what routines and patterns you fall into until someone like Everett comes along doing things slightly differently, and with different word phrasings even to make you realize you say the same thing over and over all day.

But then John forgets the associate’s name and we have the first appearance of Elliot, whom we called Everett Elliot over in April's Real Blog. Or was it Elliot Everett?

John's Letter, August 2005

Elliot, our associate dentist is really working out well at the clinic! He is enthusiastic, loves to chat with the patients, obviously loves dentistry, and I am getting very relaxed about him. Your patients trust you as a dentist, and it's a big responsibility to pass that on. I'm beginning to see that technically he is even better than I am, and really cares for the patients. Some of the new patients who started with him are nervous about having me do some of their work if he's away, so the shift has begun. I look forward to retirement now, but still enjoy my days, so I am in no rush.

September 10, 2005 is Everett’s last appearance in the strip, as he utters another “Whoa” to remind us of his youth.

Elliot appears again in the monthly letter.

John's Letter, November 2005

Every day I develop more and more respect for Elliot, my associate dentist. He absolutely loves dentistry, and the patients. I listen to his conversations with them. He asks them questions about themselves, and takes an interest in their lives. I wish I could be as keen as he is. The staff assures me that I am, but he sure has been a great addition to the practice. He and I will have to have a conversation soon about him purchasing it, and having me work as the associate. I can't imagine retiring just yet, but it sure is nice to have the pressure taken off, so that we can share the patient load. We continue to have more patients (actually, we are now supposed to call them clients), and it would have been difficult for me to keep up without getting booked way ahead, if Elliot had not come along. We are actually thinking of expanding the practice now!

I think it was around this point that aprilp_katje informed Lynn's webmaster Stephanie that the name was wrong; because the next time he appears, he is back to Everett.

John's Letter, February 2006

At the clinic, with Everett as my associate, things are going very nicely.

In the March 20, 2006 strip, Everett’s name does not show up on the list of doctors in John’s building, nor is it listed outside John’s office door, causing me to speculate Lynn was up to something. I was wrong. In the meantime John starts working 4 days a week.

John's Letter, March 2006

I mentioned "retired guy". Now that I'm working four days a week, and Everett, my associate, is taking on more and more as he gains some experience, I notice he has very good judgment and a wonderful way with people, both clients and staff. It makes me feel just a little less indispensable, and I appreciate the direction he is taking the practice. Which makes me think about taking one more day a week off! Yes, I am starting to think about working only three days a week, slowly edging my way to retirement. I know in the past I have mused in the newsletters about the idea of completely retiring, but this tapering off idea is working out quite nicely. Kind of unplanned, totally disorganized, but a great idea for a guy who can't make up his mind.

John's Letter, April 2006

There are momentary feelings, when I know that I could be retired if I wanted to be, but I still really enjoy every day that I am at the clinic. Now that I think of it, and have admitted those feelings, I must find time to talk to Everett about setting a time for him to buy the practice and take it over. I hope it doesn't spook him, and make him re-think the idea! I have my doubts. I suspect he is quite keen to put his own stamp on the place and start making more changes. I just have to officially step aside, and become his underling.

The Elly reaction to John's retirement is listed here. Let's see if it shows up in the strip.

John's Letter, August 2006

As I find myself slowing down, or at least having interests other than the clinic, I am getting serious about selling my practice, and Everett and I have started intense negotiations for him to buy the place. Elly is ok with it, but her main concern is "who will fix our teeth?"

John finally has an agreement in place with Everett to turn the dental clinic over to him.

John's Letter, September 2006

I have really appreciated the changes Everett is making at the dental clinic. We have an agreement in place now, and I can see turning it over to him soon.

Unlike Eugene Lee, Everett’s only claim to fame is that he is young and looks and talks like Keanu. This letter attempts to fill in some of that history.

John's Letter, October 2006

Speaking of age -we had a difficult little three year old patient the other day at the clinic... mostly just behavioral problems, but poor Everett, who has no children, really was struggling to know just what to do.

Speaking of Everett, he has recently become engaged! I only met his fiancée once so far, but she's very pretty, with short dark hair. She is a surgical nurse who specializes in joint replacements! I did not know that nurses specialized, but apparently that's happening more and more, as they take extra training.

Then Elliot returns temporarily and he is ready to buy. John will be 3 days a week for the next 5 years, says Elliot. Will Everett counteroffer?

John's Letter, February 2007

Elliot, my associate at the practice, came to me and is ready to buy the practice! He has gone along with a lot of the systems that I have had in place, and has helped make some great changes over the last six months, but he has his confidence up, and really wants to make the place his! It was a bit of a shock (to my ego, actually) when he suggested buying it last July, but this has been the plan for a while, and it is time. Well, it's just a little sooner that I thought it would be, but what's new! Everything we plan seems to happen sooner than planned! I am very lucky to have someone interested in the practice, and someone who is actually making improvements. I have seen some older dentists who have not been able to sell their practices, and have had to simply close them down, or in other cases, have been upset by changes the new owner is making, but once your practice is sold, you have no say at all!

In my case, I have been asked to stay on a little longer, and ease into the transition, and have been forced to learn a bunch of new things in the process. This has been great for me. Now it is time to move on. Elliot still wants me to stay on as an associate for at least three days a week for another five years. He just wants to own the place.

John's Letter, March 2007

There's also some excitement at the clinic, as we get closer to the change of ownership date when Everett takes over.

This is time period when I think Lynn originally planned to have John sell the business. It would have lined up nicely with the previously-planned end of the whole strip for September, 2007.

John's Letter, May 2007

Everett is now the owner, and he is making all sorts of changes that I wouldn't have thought of. These changes make things much easier in many ways. I should've hired him to manage the place back when he was in high school!

John's Letter, June 2007

Everett is showing a good deal of organizational skill at the clinic. Without me there all the time, he's feeling more confident about making changes. Since the clinic is now his, he's enjoying the feeling of ownership and responsibility! I can just come in, do my work for the day and go home. Now it's his job to keep the staff happy and make sure all the dirty jobs get done.

However, Lynn realizes she is not going to end the strip in September, 2007; so Everett is back to being an associate.

John's Letter, July 2007

My associate Everett and I traveled to Ottawa last week for a convention and some training.

And here is where we left it, with an intended purchase in the fall. I guess April, 2008 is close enough to fall, if you take out all the reprints.

John's Letter, August 2007

Everett has all but taken over the clinic, now. I'm sort of working as his associate and he will be taking steps to buy the practice in the fall. I'll be able to work a few days a week and keep my hands in it. I do enjoy the social aspect and I like the satisfaction of doing the work itself. I'm just quite ready to slow down.

And that's where we leave it until possibly this week. It's been a 4 year process, and not touched in the strips for 3 years. If Everett shows up again, he will have to be reintroduced. Actually the whole topic of John retiring will have to be reintroduced.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

You appear to have done more work charting the course of this storyline than Lynn or her staff. That depresses me.

I'm glad to hear that your MiL is better.

1:13 PM  
Blogger howard said...

paladin,

You appear to have done more work charting the course of this storyline than Lynn or her staff. That depresses me.

I have enjoyed snarking the Everett / Elliot Callahan story in the past, primarily because of the inconsistencies of the story in the monthly letters and the fact that there is so much of the story which is not in the strip. As for the monthly letters, Lynn Johnston seems to have had little-to-no input on them. Her storyline is basically that John started planning to retire in 2003. In 2005, he hired Dr. Everett Callahan to set him up to buy the business. If this week ends up being about Dr. John Patterson selling the business, I fully expect the focus of the story will have less to do with John and more to do with Elly’s reaction.

I'm glad to hear that your MiL is better.

Thanks. I am too.

3:54 PM  

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