Viability is Everything

My father, Floyd Pickett, DDS, passed away this spring at age 94. When I consider his life’s journey, it reminds me that he’s an excellent example of the importance of adapting to change and staying viable.

At age 20, he was a 1st Lieutenant fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew the P-47N propeller plane out of Iwo Jima, where the Americans amassed for the invasion of Japan. He loved flying but at the end of the war when the military began flying jets instead of prop planes, he knew that being a pilot wasn’t going to be a viable choice without specialized training and a longer commitment.

Instead, he earned a degree in business and became an “Ad Man.” By the mid-sixties, he was disenchanted with the advertising/marketing business and felt it wasn’t the best option for him long-term either.

He entered dental school at 42 and “Doc Pickett” went on to have a successful practice for 20 years....