KK: Can you speak to your family’s time investment in ACEP?

MP: Before Becky ran for an ACEP office, I helped write a speech for an ACEP election. I am a writer—my degree is in English and American literature—and somebody asked Becky to look at their speech. She said, “That’s not what I do, but my husband is a writer. Would you like him to look at the speech?” I looked at it—it was for Cherri Hobgood—and she was very gracious. She introduced me as her speech writer. It was very nice of her. I knew that my goals as an English teacher and a writer could complement what Becky was doing. The things I enjoyed doing just found a natural home in the things Becky was so passionate about.

KK: How do you feel this experience enriched or fulfilled you?

Duet Time – Matty Parker and his son Joshua practice the trombone. Photo: Matty Parker

MP: When I started working with Becky on her ACEP duties, I met some extraordinary people who were a lot of fun, and I made friends with them over the years. I looked forward to seeing them year after year; I made my own friends. Some were spouses. Some were physicians. But I always had a good time. They gave us great advice about our own children whenever we had questions about what was coming up in our life. It was just an amazing resource of friends and family that supplemented our lives in general.

KK: How do you recommend other spouses, life partners, and significant others not be swallowed up by emergency medicine? How do you recommend maintaining your persona and your life while still supporting your spouse?

MP: I am always willing to tell Becky when it’s too much or if something’s not worth it. I’ll ask her what her goals are, and I’ll say, “These are my goals.” We’ve always had an open line of communication so that I have been willing to turn to her and say, “I can’t do that now.” I think, in the end, open communication is the key. It can be overwhelming. There are so many amazing things going on in the College that it could swallow you up. You just need to be willing to keep your eye on what is important to you, and it all will balance itself out.