I was establishing my dental practice in the '70s and was working 12-hour days. I had WTAE on the radio for background music and would not change it when Myron came on, because I loved the show.

One day Myron goes on and on about a root canal he went through earlier in the day -- how bad it was, how much pain, how miserable ... the whole nine yards. Well, it just so happened that I was doing a root canal just then myself.

I excused myself, went in the back and called his show. They put me straight through. "Myron, will you please cool it with the root canal talk. I'm doing one right now and you have my patient all nervous."

"Put him on."

"What?"

"Put the guy on the phone."

I said, "I can't, he's in the chair."

"Well, take the phone to him." So I did.

"Look, pal, I know the doc." (We had never met.) "He's a great doc. You're in good hands. Now, relax."

I was cracking up. The patient was cracking up, and then did relax. But leave it to Myron to put the best grace note on the whole thing.

Over the radio comes, "A dentist workin' at night. ... What's this world comin' to?"

JAMES F. CATALDI
Moon

I wrote this poem in 1985 as a tribute to Myron. As Myron read it on his show, you might find it worth printing. It's called "The Myron":

JOHN OLENIK
Baldwin Borough

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