Eagle Scout. Travel enthusiast. Bird watcher. These are a few things you may not know about Dr. Hardy. This week, we take a look at how Dr. Hardy got his start in Orthopaedics, what his interests are outside of medicine, and his advice to his family for generations to come

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Dr. Gordon Hardy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama with his parents and younger brother. Like many young boys, he grew up playing youth sports and enjoying many extracurricular activities, including boy scouts. When he was just 14 years old, he achieved the highest rank a Scout can achieve--Eagle Scout. This feat, typically accomplished by young men closer to 17 years old, would display a drive and determination in the "future Dr. Hardy" that would be necessary for challenges that lay ahead--including medical school.

That same love of learning that led him to accomplish difficult things at a young age continued to act as a catalyst in high school. "I have always loved science," says Dr. Hardy. "My father was also an orthopaedic surgeon, so I was able to shadow him during summers in high school and college. His interaction with and attention to his patients influenced me to pursue medicine."

Some particularly special moments came when Dr. Hardy first began practicing orthopaedics in Anniston. He would occasionally encounter a patient who had been treated by his father. But those special moments continue far beyond patients who have experienced orthopaedic care from two generations of the doctors Hardy. As a matter of fact, according to Dr. Gordon Hardy, the best part of being an orthopaedic surgon is helping to restore an individual's quality of life and activity level after an injury or arthritic condition, and that is being done daily in the office and operating rooms in which Dr. Hardy practices. But, what if he wasn't an orthopaedic surgeon? Dr. Hardy says things wouldn't be much different. "If I wasn't an orthopaedic surgeon, I would still be in medicine," Dr. Hardy says, "probably emergency medicine."

While practicing medicine is a large part of Dr. Hardy's life, it certainly isn't the part that holds the largest part of his heart. That part belongs exclusively to his family. "I met my future wife, Erna, at a high school enrichment program in Birmingham when we were just 16,"  Dr. Hardy says. "We were married after college and have been happily married for 37 years."  The Hardys have a son and daughter who are each married and between them they have 3 grandchildren. They enjoy spending time with family, and they also enjoy travel.

One of the "bucket list" travel destinations for Dr. and Mrs. Hardy was the Northern Lights, which they were able to see in Iceland. Traveling is fun, but according to Dr. Hardy, the path to the destination is just as important to him as the destination itself. "I like the quote 'the road less traveled,' whether it is walking the land where my grandfather grew up in Coosa County, or wanting to see Antartica." When he's in town, the "road less traveled" typically takes Dr. Hardy down a path of photography, bird watching, yard work, and cultivating native woodland plants.

In all of this--a drive to help others, being the best you can be, traveling, taking the road less traveled--you might think there would be a piece of advice that Dr. Hardy would give to future generations, based on his experience with these things. However, it's actually much more simple than that. "My advice to my grandson would be to always make time for your family, no matter what the situation." Above all else, time spent with family. That's what you will find when Dr. Gordon Hardy is "out of the office."