In 1978, singer-songwriter Al Stewart produced the song Time Passages (Stewart, 1978). The single spent 10 weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening chart, the longest song to hold the title for the entire decade (Stewart, 1978). The lyrics are about the power of memory. It allows the listener to identify with the concept of enjoying recollections of the past, while remaining excited about the present and future. As pleasant and comforting as memories may be, the promise of future-focused vision drives one forward.
The Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) applied the Time Passages song meaning during the development of the 2022-2024 strategic plan, which was approved at TraumaCon in Denver, CO, during the annual membership meeting. STN finds comfort in recalling amazing memories and accomplishments that built the foundation for our success, and we are able, with excitement, to be future-focused and plan for goals to continue to advance our organization.
I can apply the message of Time Passages to my tenure as STN's 26th President. This time was the most exciting time of my professional career. I have made eternal and heartfelt memories, and, yet, I am extremely enthusiastic about STN's future. As honored as I was to be the President, I am as thrilled by passing the role and responsibilities onto Linda Reinehart, STN's 27th President.
The 2022 TraumaCon Presidential Address was titled "It's About Time." In this message, I discussed the concepts of the past, the present, and the future. Referencing the song Seasons of Love from Jonathan Larson's musical Rent, I asked the audience "How do you measure a year in your life?" (Larson, 2008). The song repeats the lyrics of 525,600 min, alluding to the number of minutes in a year (Larson, 2008). It encourages the listener to make the most of the minutes we are given. I promised STN, as President, I would do my best to apply this principle and challenged the membership to do the same.
As I am writing my last Journal of Trauma Nursing's Presidential Message, I wonder if I made the most of my minutes. There were many personal STN Presidential highlights, including attending TraumaCon22 and 23, Board Meetings, Committee Meetings, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), the Pan American Trauma Congress, the All Levels Trauma Conference, and collaborating with other professional organizations. Ironically, as important as these more formal events were, some of the other moments that stick out in my mind were sitting with a colleague, in sincere appreciation, as she shared her experience of providing nursing services in Ukraine, and another time when I communicated with an STN friend to let him know I was proud of the work he was doing. Things such as this, although on a much smaller stage, seem to weigh equally on my memory evaluation scale.
When reviewing the accomplishments of STN's year, we can quickly determine that the members also made the most of their minutes. Highlights include the publication of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) statement, the first STN/EAST monthly literature review takeover, the evolution of the geriatric SIG to a full committee, the launching of the Pediatric Trauma Across the Care Continuum (PTACC) Course, the revision of the TOPIC and Rural TOPIC curriculums, the position statement on gun violence, and the past presidents' statement regarding the role and qualifications of a Trauma Program Manager, which represent just some of the amazing work. When I think about all of these accomplishments for a volunteer organization, I wonder how we ever found the time to get it all done, and, yet, knowing the dedication of the volunteers, it is comprehensible.
The final lyric in the song Time Passages is "buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight" (Stewart, 1978). This translates into not only trying to prolong the act of leaving the warmth of fond memories but also finding comfort in knowing the destination is home. It is time for me to get my ticket home and end this Presidential term. I would like to take every moment of time to savor these past few minutes and then be on the last train home. I must thank the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, my employer, for their amazing support this year, allowing me to be present in my STN minutes. Thank you to the STN Board, staff, Committee Chairs, SIG Chairs, and the entire membership for allowing me to grow with the organization and for the honor to represent our professional home, filled with dedicated people. Thank you all for rising to the challenge of making your minutes count. Thank you for reminiscing about the past, working hard in the present, and being future-focused. Here is to getting a ticket home and riding into the sunset of time passages. After all, it's about time.
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