Presidential address of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. Get involved!

Abstract

Before I begin, I would like to play a short line from a song. It is from a group that I am sure many of you have heard about but have not actually heard. The line is from a song called Truckin’ by the Grateful Dead. It captures perfectly my years of involvement with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. “Sometimes the lights are shining on me, other times I can barely see. Lately, it occurs to me: what a long strange trip it’s been.” It has, indeed, been a long and strange trip through my medical career. But before we get to that, I would first of all like to acknowledge and thank some of the people present who have been with me on this journey and are, in large part, responsible for my not getting lost along the way. First of all, my parents. My father passed away in 1998, but my mother has taken time from her busy schedule to be here, and I know that she is absolutely amazed and, I hope, proud to see me up here as President of the AOSSM. I know there were many times when I was a youngster that I am sure that my parents were both positive I was never going to survive, let alone accomplish anything. Mom, I just want to let you know that I appreciate the many things that you have done to support me through the years. My two sons, Doug and Mike, along with Doug’s fiance Cory, are here today also. They are great kids and I am proud of them and grateful for the many wonderful times that we have had together over the years. I have them to thank for reintroducing me to the Grateful Dead. I bet you guys never thought you would be hearing them today! Thanks to my wife, Kay. We have been married for almost 31 years, so we have been together for almost my entire military and medical career. She has certainly been the beacon of light that has guided me along the way, ensuring that I did not wander too far off the path, either with my career or in the pursuit of one of my many whims. I am also pleased that my brother and sister, Gil and Cathy, could be here today, along with Gil’s wife, Ginny, and Cathy’s two daughters, Shannon and Meagan. Finally, a special thanks to Irv and Camille. They have been invaluable to me, not only in this past year as President, but also in my many associations with the Society in years past. My talk today is about involvement. I am sure many of us ask how we, as members of our Society, can get the most out of this association. I would like to play a sound clip that will set the stage for what I am going to say. As * Presented at the 27th annual meeting of the AOSSM, Keystone, Colorado, June 29, 2001. † Address correspondence and reprint requests to Walton W. Curl, MD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1070. 0363-5465/101/2929-0684$02.00/0 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, Vol. 29, No. 6 © 2001 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine