The Future is Now

The Future is Now Leading Care for MD Communities

I still cherish one of my first paperback books: The Future is Now. It was the story of the former infamous coach of the Washington Redskins coming to town and making the team a true contender for the first time in 3o years. Indeed that year, the Redskins would make their first Super Bowl appearance, forever capturing the hearts of their fans. You can still see the highlights on NFL Sundays with Coach Allen before a game telling his players, "Remember forty people working together as a team just can't lose!" As I think about other famous sports speeches, I often think about legendary former NFL coach Vince Lombardi telling his players they must be willing to sacrifice all of their personal wants, needs, and desires for the good of the team. The Future is Now makes reference to the balance between planning for the future and the present. I think most parents struggle with finding the right balance for their children. They want their kids to prepare for the future. However, there is the very powerful caveat which states that those who spend all of their time preparing for the future never have a present.

Optometry has been through some difficult times this year both nationally and in the state of Maryland. We have had rigorous debates on the subject of Board Certification. I knew that no matter how the vote turned out, there would be some upset people. Regardless of your position, it is now time to put any differences aside and look to the future. It will likely be a few years before the first Board Certification exams are taken? We will probably see in that time what shape health care reform takes? Now is the time for us to unite as a profession. I am asking you not to get too caught up in the distractions on the internet. If you think back to our Mission statement for the Maryland Optometric Association, you can see that in everything we do, we should keep in mind our mission. That mission means providing the best care for our patients, and doing what is best for our profession. Maryland Optometry coming together as a team and improving care for our patients should be our focus. These have been emotional times, but it is up to us to make our association work for the better. I am challenging every MOA member to become more engaged, and involved. We need more volunteers! We need new energy for our association! If we are truly interested in achieving many of the goals that we always complain about, it is time for us to unite positively. This is one of those unique times in history where we have a chance to shape our destiny. Board Certification and other projects will be what we make of it. We can make any of our projects into a force for good. This past weekend I gave a tour of my old high school Georgetown Prep in Rockville, Maryland to Drs. Joe Boorady, John Burns and their families. Joe and John both had sons playing in a lacrosse tournament at Prep. I was proud to see the signs around campus referring to what the Jesuits had instilled in me: "Men and Women for others." Optometry will have an exciting future that will be our choice to shape. Let's strengthen our Optometry team! The Future is Now!

Thomas A. Wong, O.D.

President Maryland Optometric Association