Thanks-giving, social consciousness, and Andre3000
"I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time."-Andre 3000
It feels entirely too coincidental that an artist who defined my teenage years plays while I work out years’ worth of tension in my most recent clients’ muscles.
As I come to this time we call Thanksgiving, late fall, nearing the end of a year, I can’t help but reflect on the changes I have seen in my life and in my self in the last year.
The climate of this nation sometimes makes my head spin. The unrest amongst racial lines, the political divide, the lack of connection between our government and the people who live under it, the violence across the globe, amongst so many other things has me wondering if it’s even appropriate to be thankful. So many point out that the first thanksgiving was the introduction of genocide amongst the indigenous people and its culture that continues to this day.
When it comes down to it, I’ve determined that we can recognize and accept that we have many improvements to make as a society while simultaneously recognizing how grateful we are of our privilege. To vow to do our best to be the very best versions of ourselves fight for justice for others while celebrating the company of our loved ones. To promise to create a better tomorrow while appreciating the things that we have today. For this duality, I want to take this time to express my gratitude.
As many of you know, I’ve been in practice since 2015, but decided to venture on my own in 2021. I was working for a company in customer service which made efforts to care about their employees, but I personally felt miserable. I knew I was meant to do something different. I grew to resent that I had so many talents that weren’t being utilized, and the talents I demonstrated were barely appreciated, let alone rewarded. Was it wise to start relying on my own income in the height of a pandemic? Absolutely not. But my goodness I can’t think of a better decision I’ve made for myself.
2023 is the first year I’ve been able to truly rely on my own business to support myself, and for that I have so many things to be grateful. First and foremost, my clients. I love each and every one of you. I’m especially grateful that most of my clients know the importance of self-care. The vast majority of my clients have made the commitment to maintaining a regular massage schedule. I can’t ignore that this makes my financial outlook easier, but the important part is really the ease of work and lasting effect this has on you as a client. Regular massages allow the body to settle into the work. My clientele takes charge of their health, keeping up with self-care and home exercises. To make progress, one has to take charge of all aspects of their health. I am so thankful that I can help to be a catalyst for that action.
I think on how my life has turned around. I became a massage therapist because I was exploring self care options. I fell in love with the concept of exercises specifically designed to aid in pain relief, herbalism, nutrition, chiropractic, yoga, meditation, and bodywork. My goal was graduate school, in naturopathy or chiropractic. But, with a background in sales, theatre, and design, I wanted to fill in the gaps in my education. Massage school seemed like the obvious blend of understanding science mixed with creativity and gentle easing into healthcare. I saw it as a stepping stone to a higher education originally. I’m so thankful I took that step. It’s the best stepping stone I could have discovered. I spent the last few years assuming I’d move forward towards the “next step”, and I think the expectations of going to graduate school have always been there. But the more I fought for the education, the more walls I was hitting. Like Andre3000, the wind was just pushing me towards furthering my love of bodywork and the way I can make a difference in the world.
I love that I can start work at any time, and make productive use of my free time. Having an office in my home has allowed me to reconnect with nature, growing some of my own food, and starting a collection of medicinal gardens. I’m now able to live with the loves of my life, David and his dog Paisley. She’s been a great addition to the atmosphere of bodywork, greeting clients and sharing her love of pets. Working from home as a professional massage therapist has so many benefits and also its unique set of business needs and challenges. I noticed a need for a community where we could share our concerns amongst peers, so I created a group specifically for bodyworkers who are home based. I am so grateful for this community, where we can share our successes and challenges in a safe and understanding way. It’s in the Home Based Bodyworkers community that I heard about New Blue Sun, an album that has caused me to reflect on my life.
Outkast was a seminal group in the early 2000s. Creating thought provoking and catchy tunes that spoke to even someone who didn’t appreciate rap and hip hop. Andre3000, the more eccentric of the pair, left unexpectedly. Despite never releasing an album of his own in that time, he was well respected as his own musician. When I heard that he was releasing a new album this year. I was ecstatic. I wasn’t expecting an entirely instrumental album consisting of various flutes. But time does things to people. Creativity knows no bounds, and Andre3000 knew that this would be a hit, and this was what fulfilled his creative urges.
Here’s a picture: If you would have told the 17 year old version of myself that in 18 years I would be living in my hometown, owning my own business, being paid to massage someone’s feet while I listened to the more eccentric half of the musical genius group that created “Hey Ya”…well, I would have thought you were losing your mind. Just about anyone else who knew me at that age would have said something similar about me.
If you ask someone who knew me only as a teenager, they would probably tell you that I might be working in a quiet corner somewhere, building beautiful things and adding my extensive knowledge to something. That I was living in a city, working for someone else. Something creative.
But, time has a way of changing who we are. I’m thankful for the changes in my life, that I’m able to use my creativity to give back, and that I can live an authentic life.
