3 minute read
WEESIE'S WORLD
TRAVELERS IN THE WILDERNESS
Written by: WEESIE WALKER, ATP/SMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NRRTS
Since March 2020, our lives have changed due to the pandemic. Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) Suppliers learned how to continue providing services as lock downs were instituted and learned how to use remote technology. It was not an option to stop meeting the ongoing needs of people who rely on CRT.
One thing the pandemic stopped was in-person conferences. Some conferences converted to a virtual event. Some were canceled or postponed. Seeing people in Zoom meetings are okay, but nothing compares to hanging out with your friends, sharing ideas, sharing concerns and solving all the world’s problems. We did it just to keep the connection. More than once during our screen time together, we lamented that we could not be together.
Some of my fondest memories come from interactions with my colleagues at these events. Did you wonder why the Washington, D.C., hotel now has a sign that says, “No Noise after 10 PM?” Did you know one year our event planner had to go dumpster diving to retrieve conference materials that had been mistakenly discarded? Each of us has tales about different happenings at our in-person conferences. Besides the courses offered, being with this amazing group of people was the biggest draw.
In August, Numotion held an in-person conference. This was the first in-person event for me since ISS Vancouver in 2020. It was both exciting and scary at the same time. Finally, an opportunity to be together again! But it meant going to the airport and getting on an airplane. Do you wear a mask in the airport? Do you wear a mask on the plane? Will my flight get delayed? Will my flight be canceled? All these new travel issues created anxiety. After arriving at the hotel and seeing that first familiar face, all travel anxiety was immediately gone.
It was just like I remembered it. We were back together again. We walked the exhibit hall and touched equipment. We shook hands. We laughed. We told stories. And just like that, it was almost back to normal.
Traveling through the wilderness in the world was worth catching up with my honest friends.
Susan Taylor, Weesie Walker and Andrea Madsen
Mike Collins and Weesie Walker
Tom Simon, Weesie Walker, Anne Kieschnik and Mike Seidel
Weesie Walker and Allan Boyd
CONTACT THE AUTHOR Weesie may be reached at WWALKER@NRRTS.ORG
Weesie Walker, ATP/SMS, is the executive director of NRRTS. She has more than 25 years of experience as a Complex Rehab Technology supplier. She has served on the NRRTS Board of Directors, the GAMES Board of Directors and the Professional Standards Board of RESNA. Throughout her career, she has worked to advocate for professional suppliers and the consumers they serve. She has presented at the Canadian Seating Symposium, RESNA Conference, AOTA Conference, Medtrade, International Seating Symposium and the NSM Symposium. Walker is a NRRTS Fellow.
