Making Tracks

After the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I listened to a podcast about her life. It primarily focused on the period before she was on the Supreme Court. During this time, she was an attorney who argued six cases in front of the same court she would later join. Each of these cases focused on ensuring men and women were treated equally. She won five of the six cases and is credited for truly changing the landscape for women in the United States. The podcast included an interview with her where she commented that we should all do something where we “make tracks.” She went on to describe that doing something for yourself is good, but when you do something for others, you “make tracks.” This is important and the concept really resonated with me.

I have three children; my daughter is 19 and my sons are 17 & 14. My two eldest children often talk about what they want to study and ultimately the career paths they may take. It’s funny, because during these conversations my youngest son talks about his theory of life… you have to do what makes you happy, period. Ultimately, I think he and Justice Ginsburg are both right. Find something that makes you happy, while making other peoples’ lives better. With this in mind, I think we would be hard-pressed to find better career paths.

I posit that for all of us in health care, we are fortunate to have the potential for both. There is no doubt that we ALL “make tracks” every single day. From the patient services representative who checks a patient in for surgery to the surgeon who resects the same patient’s cancerous tumor, we all do something that directly impacts other peoples’ lives for the better. For those of us farther from the front lines, it might not always feel that way, but I know that it is true. However, the idea of “making tracks” isn’t top-of-our mind because we are caught up in our work, our lives and the world. 

I also know that work isn’t always fun. That is the nature of just about any true work. However, I also believe that working with people you like, for an organization that is truly mission-based, can and should be fun more often than not. As I reflect upon the early months of our COVID-19 response, while working 18-hour days, seven days a week, I felt pride, compassion and kinship with so many of our team. This wasn’t in line with my son’s definition of fun (Xbox, basketball, etc.), but the work was very purposeful and powerful. Like so many of you, I got through those early days on a combination of caffeine and teamwork. I actually found precious moments to enjoy camaraderie with my teammates and was inspired by our role in the community.

So, whether you are finishing a long night shift, editing that last note in Epic or are waiting on a machine to sterilize the last batch of instruments, please know that you are “making tracks.” What you do matters every day. We matter. Whether you align with her politics or not, Justice Ginsburg was very wise when speaking of this concept – “make tracks” by finding something that makes other peoples’ lives better. If we can find a bit of humor and joy in our day, we can also prove my son right.