Giant “X” Vapor Trails
The HERO Forum15 was one of those awesome moments in life when as Thornton Wilder suggested in his play Our Town, “you realize life as you are living it.” There were many individuals that had been a part of my 35 year worksite wellness journey at the HEROForum15, many who I had not seen for years, and many I will probably never see again. We all had aged, but as we bonded again, I realized their eyes and voices still held the same passion that spoke to me so many years ago. Yesterday, MaryBeth and I did several long walks, and on one I watched two jets cross paths leaving a giant “x” vapor trail in the sky. It reminded me of how my life has been blessed with so many individuals that have shared a part of their life with me and the giant “x” vapor trails we’ve left behind.
Below is my acceptance speech for the Bill Whitmer Leadership Award I gave last Tuesday, September 29th. I had been asked to talk about my entry into the field and my leadership journey. What struck me as I reread the speech this weekend was how many giant “x” vapor trails I’ve made with others along the way. What giant “x” vapor trail have you made with someone else lately?
Thanks Susan Bailey for recommending me for this award, and being more than a good friend, more like a daughter.
When I was 5, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and she died when I started college, the same year my dad declared bankruptcy. Army ROTC was one of the ways I worked my way through undergraduate school, serving in the Army as an Airborne Ranger. I came back from war, like many, looking for redemption, and immediately went to work for a big church. Six months into the job I broke my back in a car accident when a car hit me at a red light. After a spinal fusion of four of my lumbar vertebra, I spent six months in the hospital and six months in a full body cast, before I learned how to walk again. Somewhere around my 3rd or 4th month in the hospital I watched a young man come into the room across the hall with multiple injuries from a motor cycle accident. I could only see the lower half of his body, and after several weeks, they took one leg and then the other. The day he had no legs I promised myself if I ever walked again I would find a profession where I could help people that weren’t as lucky as me. This experience over 40 years ago is what drives my passion for wellness.
My dad died of cancer almost 25 years ago, and he never really understood what I did for a living or the concept of worksite wellness, he wanted me to be a psychologist like the rest of the family. But my parents gave me values that have guided my life and work. The values of purpose, passion, perseverance, engagement, faith, and caring. Receiving this award tonight, honors my parent’s faith in life, its wholeness, and its goodness.
One of my favorite Baun-isms is “we don’t do life alone”, and there are many who have been the winds under my sail. Bob Patton and Peter Raven guided my graduate programs, fueled my scientific curiosity and gave me a passion for excellence. Ed Bernacki at Tenneco and Georgia Thomas at MD Anderson supervised and collaborated with me for a combined 26 years allowing me to grow, and for me to grow those I managed. There are many individuals that pushed, prodded, and collaborated with me on research, writing, and projects that have spanned for decades and significantly changed our field. My superhero’s: Michael O’Donnell, Nell Gottlieb, David Hunnicutt, Len Berry, Ron Goetzel, Nico Pronk, Sheela Sharma, and George Pfeiffer. And of course, my biggest supporter is my wife, MaryBeth. What an awesome journey – thank you all so very much!
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