What’s real?

Athletic Trainers in the fall are some of the busiest professionals anywhere. Our secondary schools and college/university colleagues are working long days during this face paced time of year, as are all ATs. This fall, however, I’ve been forced to stop and reflect.

Two weeks ago, we lost a great man and leader–our SWATA President and long time AT at Texas State University, David Gish. David ascended to the office of President just two short months ago at the SWATA Annual Meeting, and lost his life to cancer in late September after a hard fight.

His first Board of Directors meeting will be memorable for me. David loved this profession and served to make it better. There was no ego, no power trip, and no sense of what the position would do for him. He simply loved athletic training and SWATA, and wanted to leave it better than he had found it. He did.

As I’ve struggled through the frustrations and challenges of work day to day, the reality of David’s struggle and the pain his family and friends are now enduring has hit home. Our struggles, our frustrations, our challenges with coaches, parents, and patients are not important. As a friend of mine said to me the other day: are we living to work or working to live??

I love my job (most days), and my profession (every day), but while my work is important, my family, friends, and health are moreso. What really matters isn’t whether our team wins or loses, how many patients we see in a day, how many athletes showed up for morning treatments.

Tomorrow, hundreds of people will celebrate David’s life. I will also celebrate his passion–for his family, his profession, and his “two beer stories”. I miss you my friend.

What’s real to you?