108 It's Time to Take Our "Clothes" Off
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Dynamic Chiropractic – May 31, 1999, Vol. 17, Issue 12

It's Time to Take Our "Clothes" Off

Not Nearly as Revealing as You Might Think

By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher
One technique used by some public speakers to overcome nervousness is to imagine that everyone in the audience is naked. While I personally have never tried this technique (How do you concentrate on what you're going to say as you picture a room full of naked people?), the general idea appears to be envisioning the audience just as vulnerable or "naked" as the speaker feels.

The concept of "equalizing" to facilitate communication has broad application:

• What do we "wear" that keeps us from communicating freely?

• What is it about the people on the "other side of the aisle" that we find intimidating or that breeds hostility?

• Is it possible to take down the barriers of communication long enough to just be doctors (and students) of chiropractic?

Yes, there are fringe elements on opposite ends of the spectrum who will never want to be part of mainstream chiropractic.

Some would say these elements shouldn't be considered part of the profession. But the 98% of us in the middle can't continue to react to the one percent at either end of the spectrum as if they speak for everyone to the left or right of us.

There is a long history to all this disunity. There has been no shortage of "sins" committed by all sides, but those have to be forgotten and set aside for the greater good.

We can certainly agree that we are all part of a wonderful profession that we feel passionately about. When you look past the labels, you see chiropractors adjusting subluxations, keeping patients from unnecessary drugs and surgery and promoting wellness. We may not all use the same terms, but every DC I've ever met does the same thing.

So how do we get past the labels?

How do we forgive the insults and injustices?

How can we ever hope to find unity?

Unity happens by commitment. It is the same kind of commitment you make to God, your spouse and your children. You won't always feel like making the kinds of efforts to maintain that commitment, but you do it because you understand the long-term benefits.

This is not about getting along until somebody does something you don't like. It is about making a commitment to work together because it is the ONLY alternative.

Why do we have so much disunity in our profession? Because we allow it.

If you stop tolerating disunity, it will lower its head in shame and its ugly voice will be silenced. You need to speak up every time someone says or does something that is divisive to the profession. Disunity needs to be labeled politically incorrect.

Think about what could happen if we could all work together for the betterment of our patients and practices. It may seem like the impossible dream, but it beats our current reality of exclusion and disrespect.

To quote John Lennon:

"You may say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us. And the world (the chiropractic profession) will be as one."

It can happen.

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