THE TIDAL BORE – ISSUE NO. 473

Recently my wife and I visited Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the birthplace of my father-in-law, so I had been there a few times (and happy to go back anytime!). There is one thing I had never seen in prior trips, a wonder of nature, the Tidal Bore of the Bay of Fundy. Twice a day, when the high tide comes in from the Atlantic Ocean, water is forced into the carved out gullies of Eastern Nova Scotia. This creates a "tidal bore" - a gush of water that overcomes the outgoing feed water rivers creating a wave that jets in and, over time, changes the landscape. The Tidal Bore is one of the forces of nature that attracts the interest of both casual and professional naturalists. And I wanted to see it with my own eyes - a bucket list thing, I guess you would say. The ebb and flow of tides being what they are, Karen and I were compelled to get up at o'dark-thirty in order to make it in time to witness the Tidal Bore. And we made it, and I got to witness it with my own eyes! Only thing, I learned about the Tidal Bore - it's not a tsunami. It's not even a big surf. It's more like the surf coming in on the Gulf of Mexico. On a particularly calm day. When the Gulf is almost as still as a pond. Disappointed, you might ask? Well, underwhelmed, I guess I would say. It was like watching a wave come in, in slow motion. Though, seems crazy to say, later, looking at the photos and video we took, it is way more impressive, and even magical, than what we saw with our own eyes in real time. That's what standards writing is like. In person, it seems like not much is happening. "Underwhelmed" is often the kindest thing you can say about the proceedings. But then, you look back at the "photos" and the "video" and you can more clearly see the progress that has been made over the years. In the area of standards related to medical device processing, we are in the middle of very significant tidal bore. The wave keeps coming and changing the landscape, for the better. Standing on the shore, in person, it is difficult to see it. But later, upon reflection, the progress is way more impressive. So, gentle reader, keep the faith, believe in magic, and keep riding the tidal bore of change!