Recently, on a weekend break away in the beautiful Cairngorms, I foolishly let it be known that I had never actually climbed a ‘Munro’, despite having moved from Northern Ireland to Scotland nearly 17 years ago!
For the unaware, Munros are mountains in Scotland with a height of over 3000 feet. There exists a large community of dedicated hikers and hillwalkers who enjoy nothing better than enduring the (un)predictable rain, windburn and midges of Scottish weather to ‘bag’ another Munro, of which there are apparently 282 to choose from.
Following much derision about my lack of commitment to exploring Scotland’s remote landscapes, I was commandeered to join a walking party to ascend “one of the easiest” Munros, near the Glenshee Ski Centre. And between you and me, I secretly enjoyed the brisk climb, shared common goal and camaraderie! The scenery from the summit was spectacular, with glorious views only surpassed by the vista from the chairlift ride back, and celebratory drinks at the base café. I’m sure this formative experience will be enjoyed again, even within the next 17 years! But what made it particularly memorable was being accompanied by one of my teenage children, which gave the climb a new level of meaningfulness (and a requirement to set a good example!).
As I reflected on my previous disengaged attitude, I was challenged as to how we develop motivation to achieve in any walk of life. Often inspiration comes via the better example of others, inviting you to participate in an activity which through shared positive mutual experiences develops into a sense of belonging to a community. If this is enhanced through helping others, these foundations can serve as a greater springboard to meaningful engagement.
How do you know someone is a Munro-bagger? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you!
For August/September 2024, we have many positive examples of academic and clinical engagement for the greater good. The importance of starting well is covered by Connor Henry-Blake describing how simulation enhances ophthalmic training, and Edward Saxton explaining how to improve emergency medicine’s exposure to ophthalmology. Trainees (and others) will benefit from William Evans advising ongoing engagement through how best to write and publish a case report, and as usual we have a high-quality medical example, Kareem Alsaffarini. The expanding role of Arclight is shared by Andrew Blaikie and team, and medico-legal challenges expertly broken down into manageable stages by Amar Alwitry. Motivational perspectives for longevity are provided via a fantastic Peter Cackett interview of retina surgeon and NASCAR driver, Patrick Staropoli, amongst our other features and journal reviews. And if that is not enough, we have a dynamic imaging supplement for you to view.
Through reading and reflecting on Eye News, our hope is that you will no longer see insurmountable obstacles within the ophthalmic world you inhabit, but rather be inspired by others to engage, get involved, keep on going, climb every mountain, and enjoy the view on the way. And maybe in future editions, you’ll be able to ‘bag’ Eye News amongst your publications! – DL
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