President's column Not everyone can be the top dog, and I should know. I have spent a lot of my career in the middle of the pack. Some of my professors, who must be suffering from amnesia, gave glowing remarks about me as a student. Not true—I was average. I scrambled to get assignments done, scrambled to study for exams (and pass them). It seemed to me that I worked very hard for every little inroad that I gained. I graduated at one of the worst times in the history of our industry, 1986, and was one of the 37 members of my class of 38 who did not get a job. Throughout my career, I had bad luck as often as good luck. The good times were sweet, but the bad times were typical. The one thing that let me to excel in my career was my SPE involvement, and it made the difference between drudgery and enjoyment. Basically, I was a grinder (allow me to use an ice hockey term). An average middle or back-of-the-pack guy who enjoyed life but ground away during most of my career. What a glorious, normal place to be! Now for the good news: SPE is incredibly proficient at disseminating technical information and our very purpose is to make all members the best they can be, even the “average grinder.” At SPE, those members in the middle of the pack are really important, influential, and a well-regarded part of society. I love the stories of the hard worker beating the odds. My SPE career is full of them, and as I travel as SPE President, I am so proud to lift these people up by acknowledging their great work. No member is average—they are all superstars. People such as Howard Duhon, who has been likened to “the smartest man who ever lived.” But, if you asked Howard, he would say he is just a good ole boy from Louisiana. People such as the PetroBowl team from the University of Benin who, despite losing their team captain and other players to visa issues, traveled the world to attend ATCE in San Antonio. With only two players, this team made it to the championship final, taking second place. People such as Andrea Payer-Moser from the Vienna Basin Section who turned a routine presidential visit into a tremendous motivational experience for people in two countries. Twice.