Title: A Message from the Chair-Eject
Author:
Section/SPIG: Chiropractic Health Care
Issue Date:
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| Lisa Killinger welcomes new Chair John Hyland |
Greetings APHA-CHC Members and Friends,
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for your support and assistance during my time as Chair, then Chair-Elect/Eject, and then Chair again. Now, I am happily enjoying my term as Chair-Eject. We have created and shared many fond memories over the past few years, and I will take a few moments to recollect them here with you, hoping to bring a smile to those of you who were a part of these memories, and those of you who missed out, but may join us in future years.
When good luggage carts go bad
I must say, it was great fun to put on the Megabooth these last few years, but some of what went on behind the scenes to pull it off is worth sharing. Truly, there are few things more entertaining than two rather slight women, (Elaine Morschhauser and me to be exact), commandeering an extra large luggage cart from our hotel, wrestling over 200 pounds of booth boxes onto that cart, and then negotiating a half dozen city blocks worth of streets, curbs and traffic. It was truly like a Laurel and Hardy routine gone bad!
I remember several near misses between said luggage cart and annoyed passing cars, some pretty hilarious losses of control of said cart, and many times where laughter and exhaustion caused us to plop down on some random street corner to regroup (and to try to prevent a urinary mishap secondary to the lethal combination of laughter, lifting and cold weather). For those of you who have not been a part of this annual pilgrimage, don’t worry, we’ll call on you for help in the years to come!
Rand-y
Over time, we’ve come to expect certain, er, uh, ‘behaviors’ from Rand. It’s a given. Rand has a special gift for being able to reach down into the very depths of his soul to come up with the most inappropriate remarks. But, in spite of his remarkable political incorrectness, we still love Rand (OK, well, most of us do!). I remember Rand giving me his business card one year, featuring a full card sized photo of himself, looking, well, somewhat ‘Rand-y’, with his hands politely folded on the desk in front of him, cleverly concealing his wedding band. Classic Rand.
But, to his credit, Rand has named the Magnum XX (double extra large) condom the “official condom of the APHA-CHC.” It takes some pretty big {insert anatomical part of your choosing here} for such things, but we’ve come to expect such from our 2004 Distinguished Service Awardee. Three cheers (OK, well, two very big ones) for Rand!
What are the odds?
Then, there’s that pair of ever-memorable cab rides in Boston, or was it Philly? No matter. It was quite amazing, wherever it occurred. I have, over the years, become known for striking up conversations with cab drivers, often in their native tongues. Hey, it’s not my fault that so many cab drivers hail from (sorry I couldn’t help myself) countries that use a language with which I am rudimentarily familiar. Anyway, during one APHA cab ride, Elaine and I got a cabby who (from his name I could tell) was from the same tribe in Nigeria as a good friend of mine. So, the cabby and I had a nice 15 minute conversation about global and national politics, the results of our presidential election, and other delicate topics, generally not your regular cab conversation fare (I really CAN’T help myself). You see, in spite of sometimes modest first impressions, many foreign cab drivers are intellectuals in their own right. After an uneventful ride, we got in a slight traffic snag as we approached the hotel. Another cab honked at our driver for cutting him off in traffic. Our once seemingly sane driver snapped, screaming a string of profanities which would have made a sailor (and me) blush. His tirade included the phrase which now is emblazoned in our minds “Asshoooooolllllllllle, why are you horning me?!!!” (pronounced like oss-hoooooool; It’s funny how cuss words translate only roughly into English.) We hurriedly exited said cab, concerned a bit about the driver’s mental stability, and walked in shock to our hotel lobby.
Days later, on the other side of town, after a quick, emergency shopping trip to Filene’s Basement, we hailed a cab, anxious to get back for an afternoon APHA program. Lori Byrd, Elaine and I, who had also been in on the first cab ‘incident’ got in, laughing and chatting until I noticed, that of the tens of thousands of cab drivers in Philly (I’m pretty sure it was Philly), we had gotten in the cab with the same, relatively unstable cab driver. After a rather somber trip to the hotel, (we didn’t want to push it) another traffic tangle ended in another similar inter-driver screaming match, featuring our favorite term, “Asshoooooooollllllllle!”
Weird stuff happens at APHA. There is no doubt about it.
Great works too
While jocularity has not been in short order, great works have been plentiful as well in the APHA-CHC. Our Section has seen a great deal of progress and positive outcomes due to their hard work, and persistent pursuit of excellence. From the development of the Model Curriculum in Public Health for Chiropractic Educators, to the development of excellent smoking cessation materials for use in practice, to the development of an evidence-based Web site on immunizations for chiropractic professionals; So many talented minds have contributed to so much good product within our APHA-CHC Section.
I hope in future years, more of our members will get excited about APHA and take an active role in such worthwhile efforts within our Section. Every year I hear of a half a dozen new DC, MPH’s in our field. I look forward to watching them take the reins of the Section, with the credentials and experiences that will no doubt enhance our profession’s contribution within APHA.
I greatly look forward to the years ahead in APHA, which will undoubtedly be filled with a great deal of hard work and laughter. I can’t think of anything I would rather do with my early Novembers than spend them with the APHA Chiropractic Health Care Section, doing great (and sometimes hilarious) things.
Best wishes to you all in the coming year.
Your loving Chair-Eject,
Lisa Killinger, DC