St. George Health & Wellness Magazine March/April 2021

Page 15

DIXIE TECHNICAL COLLEGE MESSAGE Spring Shots Last January, I was sitting in my office; it was cold outside—very cold. It was also cloudy. The night before, it had snowed in Dixie. All of the mountains that surround our valley were beautiful and white. The cold of winter seemed like a metaphor for the COVID winter that had gone on far too long. In the midst of my shivering thoughts, a cheery little tune began playing through my mind from the musical Annie: “The sun will come out tomorrow.” And so it has. The wonderful sunshine of Dixie is returning, and one tomorrow after another, it will become stronger and more intense, warming us from the inside out and reminding us that springtime is glorious and that hope springs eternal.

Besides vegetables and flowers sprouting up everywhere, the vaccine is more widely available. This may be the single most important blessing of spring this year!

Have you ever wanted, dreamed about, or yearned for shots this much? The ability to get a couple of loaded “little pokes” (as they say in the world of medicine) does so much more than protect us from COVID. These shots create a mental turning point, one that says we can finally be finished with COVID and masks and distancing and isolation and loneliness and the fear that came and settled in for far too long.

A turning point is just that: a point from which to change direction. All of the hardships of COVID don’t magically disappear in a poof, and craziness isn’t instantly replaced with “back to normal.” We’re going to have to do some serious spring cleaning. It’s time to get to work on the residual effects of the wily virus. I believe that isolation, distancing, and fear have left us with some holes in our hearts, and we’re desperate to have them filled. Each of us needs a plan; you need one that works for you, and I need one that works for me.

Without a crystal ball, I can’t say when, but I can say that as soon as possible, we must reach out to one another. Connect. Reconnect. Assure. Reassure. As human beings, we are social. We need connection to survive, and we’ve been without it far too long.

When it’s safe, I may plan a neighborhood party and burn the masks! I’m going to hug my friends and loved ones long and tight. I’ll hold their hands, look into their eyes, and watch their lips form words. I’ll share, listen, and have meaningful conversations. I’m going to care—right up close and personal. I’ll invite my friends to break bread together with full-fledged dinner parties. And I’ll sing—loudly! (Ok, so that would be scary.) And when the time is right, I’m going to apply for the welding program at Dixie Tech. I’ve wanted to learn that skill for a long time now. What have you always wanted to do? Make a plan. Do it! If that something happens to be going back to school, come see us at Dixie Tech. Learn something new. Connect to a new part of yourself as you develop new skills, make new friends, and possibly land a great new job in the process! Why not? It’s spring!

Kelle Stephens President of Dixie Technical College

dixie tech St. George Health & Wellness Magazine | March/April 2021 15


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Articles inside

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW

3min
page 59

How Often Should I Have My Estate Plan Reviewed?

2min
page 51

Get on a Path to Hope and Healing!

2min
pages 48-49

Robotics-Assissted Knee and Hip Replacements in St. George, Utah

3min
page 31

Happy Trails

5min
pages 28-29

Restaurant Journeys: Angelica's Mexican Grill

3min
page 27

Dining Guide

5min
page 26

Mask Health and Hygiene

3min
page 24

Oh, How Things Have Changed

3min
page 21

Letter from the Editor

4min
page 7

Rocky Vista University Message

1min
page 12

Trailblazer Nation

1min
page 10

Mayoral Message

2min
page 8

Revere Health Offers One-Stop Medical Care at New Multi-Specialty Clinic in St. George, Utah

4min
pages 16-17

Believe in Yourself

3min
pages 66-68

This Year is Yours

5min
pages 64-65

Is There a Solution to Your Allergy Riddle?

5min
pages 62-63

The FACs of Dog Allergies

2min
pages 60-61

The Date Night Difference

3min
pages 58-59

Seize Each Fleeting Day

3min
pages 56-57

Are You Ready to Get Your Hiking Knees Back?

1min
page 55

A Compassionate Heart is a Courageous Heart

4min
pages 52-54

Spring into Action

3min
page 50

Dixie State University: Opening Doors to Future Success

2min
page 47

COVID-19 Testing and Treatment

2min
page 46

Spring Back into Shape

3min
pages 44-45

The Blue Zones: How to Live Healthy for One Hundred Years

4min
pages 40-41

Mind and Body Deep Clean, 2021 Style

3min
pages 42-43

Matters of Life and Death

7min
pages 38-39

Vision Restoration

3min
pages 32-34

A Time of Renewal

3min
pages 36-37

Preston’s Medical Waste Disposal: Protecting People and the Environment

2min
page 35

Living Fit. Living Well

2min
pages 25-27

Are You Aligned with Your Values?

3min
pages 22-24

LiVe Well Center Golf Fitness Program

3min
pages 18-19

Relieving Your Neck and Back Pain

3min
pages 20-21

Dixie Technical College Message

2min
page 15
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