MICROCULTURES – ISSUE NO. 474

Recently on this page I wrote about our trip to Nova Scotia. Well, I have another from NS... My father-in-Law was born and grew up on the north coast of Nova Scotia. Along the coast of the Northumberland Pass. It is rural. It is agricultural. It is remote. The locals joked that when the global economy crashed in 2008, they did not notice. In Pictou and Antigonish counties, half the people seem to have the last name of Mac Donald. 50 years ago, for sure that was true. Today, half the people are at least related to a Mac Donald. In fact, and this is no exaggeration, go to a local function and those there spend most of their time trying to figure out how they are related. Not me, of course. But I joined right in trying to figure out how my wife Karen was related. Before you think that these people are small minded, or unaware of the outside World, don't. The vast majority have lived elsewhere on the Globe, but were drawn back to what makes this area special. They have an understanding of the World around them, and the part they play. So, why again am I writing about Nova Scotia? Microculture. What is so special to me is the familial relation the residents (and familial visitors) have to the area. Not only do they celebrate their relation, they have developed an entire culture about it, including names for each other, music, dancing, instrumentation, story telling.... After a long Spring of conferences and trade shows, I headed right from APIC in Minneapolis to Nova Scotia. I reflected. AAMI, APIC, AORN, ASTM, IAHCSMM, ISO, SGNA.... Each group, each meeting has a microculture. What defines each. What is talked about. The words that are used, are unique to each. And yet... At every one there is a unifying focus. What is best for the patient. It is, what in our incredibly diverse industry, unifies our efforts. I work in a small world - medical device processing - but that is part of a larger world - delivering the best care possible to the patient. That's a good culture to be a part of!