Coach Smith here. 

 

Just because my knees don't work anymore doesn't mean I'm ready to retire.
Heck, I'm the same age as Cher, Dolly Parton, Bill Clinton, and George W.
Bush, and they're not "old" or ready to retire either. And besides, I'm a
grandmother. I have no problem asserting my right to be bold, sometimes
brash, and occasionally eccentric. Age has its privileges.

 

I wear my "battle scars" with pride, not unlike like a pirate. I threw out
all my uncomfortable high heel shoes (except my cowboy boots) long ago. I
dress in comfortable clothes (usually jeans), and wear (also comfortable)
"doo-da" clothes when I am expected to look important and/or smart. I don't
even mind an occasional evaluation that claims I'm opinionated. Thank you,
yes, I am - and my opinions are neither lightly derived nor carelessly
considered. (That's why I'm at the front of the lecture hall with a
microphone in my hand.) I'll put on my pink hat if I'm making a TRULY
opinionated statement. 

 

Look at some of the brilliant minds in our field: Ruth Lawrence, Lars
Hanson, Audrey Naylor, and Armond Goldman are older than I am, and they're
out there leading the parade doing research, formulating global health
policy, starting a new medical journal, and leading important agencies with
their personal energy, decades of life experience, and profound professional
commitment. With team leaders like that as examples, how can I quit?

 

When I get frustrated, I turn around and look backward to see how far we've
come in the past 36 years since I gave birth for the first time. I see tens
of thousands of people (including Lactnet subscribers) all working to make
breastfeeding better for mothers and babies. Those thousands of supporters
simply didn't exist when I was a new mother. We ARE making a difference, and
that is very good news indeed.

 

No, I'm not ready to retire yet. I'm just hitting my stride. 

 

Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC

Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre Ltd

6540 Cedarview Ct, Dayton OH 45459

937-438-9458 / fax 937-438-3229

www.BFLRC.com  

 


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