It has been 4 years, 1 month, 3 weeks & 1 day since I checked my mail for that piece of paper I had been so impatiently waiting for. I barely got that piece of paper on my 1st try. I went to that amazing school for a year, only got a B in one class. One class!! All A's & ONE B!!!! I studied my ass off. Crammed more knowledge of things I never wanted to know about...like skin conditions (what an itchy week that was) & what cadaver muscles look like (Ewww!)...into my brain, wrote papers, read & read & read, took tests every week it seemed, then all of the sudden it was over. I was done. No more driving to Portland twice a week. No more not seeing Ky for days at a time. School was out! But it wasn't over. I took the written test for my boards, no biggie. Then I went to take the practical...terrifying! I passed, by 4%. That was a blow to my 3.92 GPA, but I passed. Then it was time to wait & check the mail & wait & check the mail & wait some more & check the mail again...until it came!! I called my would be first professional client & said "guess what!!! I finally get to be your massage therapist!!!"
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| This might be the best lesson I ever learned. |
I had people waiting for me. The support of my family & friends in pursuing this was so incredible. They helped with Ky, they helped me study, they got me through the stressful times, they brought me through that tunnel to the light at the other side. While I was there I was blessed to meet even more amazing friends. It was a life changing experience. I didn't know it was what I really wanted until I jumped in. All I knew was I wanted out of where I was. No more sales, no more sales goals, no more meeting goals only to have the ceiling raised & the commissions lowered every month, no more angry customers who just needed a sounding board, no more working 60+ hours a week & missing Kylie's life. So I gave my notice, I got my financial aid, after just finally rebuilding my credit I put myself further in debt than I'd ever been & I went back to school.
That was the first step. The second step happened 1 year, 9 months & 4 days ago when I became self-employed. There wasn't a smooth transition. No testing the water. Just a plunge into the ice cold abyss. I'm still swimming. It really isn't that cold. It's amazing.
So here's what I do. I help people feel better. When you come to my office I want to you to walk out feeling better than you walked in. I want you to feel safe, tell me your worries if you need to, sleep if you need to, laugh if you need to, or cry. This is your time. You are paying for it so you need to know it is about you. If you think your left foot needs 15 more minutes of massage than the right one...tell me! The most important thing for you to feel when you are laying on that table in my office is comfortable.
I hear all the time, "Well I would come get a massage, but I don't want you to see my fat, chub, extra pounds, insert bad body image comment here..." I hear this from men & women alike. I. DO. NOT. CARE. WHAT. YOU. WEIGH! I'm not sizing you up wondering if you've gained a few pounds or lost a few pounds. I'm there to help you relax. I'm there to help you feel better about yourself. Did you know one of the benefits of massage is a healthier body image? Yep, having someone massage you helps you to become more comfortable in your own skin. That. Is. Awesome.
Just so you know, every time someone comes to my office for the first time, I am just as nervous as that day when my license finally came. I'm thinking "Will they like my massage technique? Will they silently be laying there hating it? Will they feel comfortable here? Will what I do help them?" True story.
Now that we are past your first hurdle, let me tell you about what goes on in my office. Sometimes massage music...sometimes a sweet playlist. Might be November Rain playlist if you're really lucky! That's up to you. Because it is YOUR MASSAGE! Then we talk about why you're there. Did you pull a muscle, are you so stressed your neck has disappeared, car accident, you need an hour away from your family??? Whatever it is, we will figure out the best course of action for you. Then I'll step out & wash my hands while you undress to YOUR level of comfort. Don't worry, I will knock before I reenter the room. I don't want to see you naked so please get situated on the table, under the covers, before you tell me to come back in! Then it's massage time. Tell me if I need me to adjust the pressure, if you hate having your feet, ears, left pinkie finger touched, if you have a giant bruise or a new tattoo that can't be touched right now, if you only want your neck & shoulders massaged. Just let me know.
Not everyone that comes to see me comes back. I'm not for everyone. I don't ever want to offend someone, but there will be people who just won't like me. It's OK. A newer client of mine told me the other day that she likes me because I'm not like "most massage therapists" she's encountered. She said they were too "new age-y" for her. I think my November Rain playlist won her over! Whatever the reason, I am immensely grateful to all of those who become my clients & if I'm really lucky, some of those people who come in as strangers leave as friends. I have a few who started out friends (& some who came to me because their chiropractor said they should) that I enjoy so much, I'm counting down til their next appointment! That makes going to work easy!!
Thank you to all my people for all of your support! Much love to you!
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