WSMA Wednesday

For heaven’s sakes, here I go again! Will I ever get around to Wellness Wednesday? I really had big plans for it this week, and then I said to myself, “No, Chris, you should pay a tribute to the day job for a change.”

So here we are.

This past weekend was the annual conference of the Wisconsin Society of Medical Assistants. 200 certified medical assistants and medical assistant students from across the state attended. I have attended the annual conference every year except maybe two, since becoming a member in 1990. My little local chapter even hosted the convention in 1993.

The conference runs from the executive board meeting Thursday night through Saturday evening. As a past state president (that was in 2004), I also attended the past state presidents’ breakfast on Sunday morning.

But what of this is of any interest to you? Let me just tell you about two of the speakers.

 Dr. Don Bukstein has spoken to our group in the past. I suppose because his wife is a CMA in the society, he is a pitch-hitter. On Friday evening, after we were full of tacos and cake and the chocolate party favors, he spoke to us about happiness. What makes us happy and what we can do to make others happy. The most common denominator seemed to be showing others that you care.

 I don’t think that anyone can be happy in a bubble. Happiness comes from inside of us, but if we don’t share that happiness with others, it’s like making a death-by-chocolate dessert and then not eating any of it.

 Kiah Calmese Waker was the third speaker on Saturday morning. She was so positive and upbeat, reminding us that we are “all of that and a bag of chips with an order of fries on the side.” Ok, so maybe good nutrition wasn’t her topic, but just like with happiness, what’s on the inside that comes out is more important then what is on the outside bombarding you. 

Her opening slide sounded pretty dry. Good thing she didn’t talk about anything like that. 

Kiah was followed by guide dogs in-training. Who cannot smile when they see a sleeping puppy?