How Sweet it is to be Alive!
Shapes Dissolve, Shapes Emerge
New forms are starting to take shape and I am coming to terms with the fact that my time as a massage therapist has come to pass. I accepted a job as an artwork assistant for a plant that prints and embroiders soccer kits in Dundee. I'm excited to utilize my artistic skill to do good work in this field. The other day I was cycling to what will become my daily commute. Muddy fields rolled from Carnoustie to Monifieth and down to the sage green/blue of water, where the River Tay meets the North Sea. Across the Tay estuary arose Fife from it’s densely packed pines of Tentsmuir Forest to the east and the blue/grey Lomond hills in the distance. I stopped my bicycle, snapped a photo and thought "Wow, how sweet it is to be alive!". The honey smell of manure from the fields mixed with cold salt air and coal smoke from the farms dotting the patchwork. This all brought on an incredible amount of excitement for the days to come and gratitude for all those years as a massage therapist.
Adieu to Massage
I absolutely adored being a massage therapist. I loved making people happy and making a real connection. I loved providing a space where people feel safe, where they can let go of their worries and come back to their bodies. I loved teaching and connecting with people who have a passion for the work. I loved sharing everything I’ve learned along the way and passing on what was given to me by my amazing teachers. I even enjoyed the business aspect of the work: designing the website/ graphic design, the client correspondence and all the administrative work (ok maybe I didn't like that part so much).
But now it's time to move on to the next adventure!
Jo and I originally were planning to open up Anchor Wellness 2.0 when we got here to Scotland. I had the website all but completed last year at this time. Our dreams were big. We were virtually scoping out spaces in Dundee for the home of our practice and even writing out training protocols for a future where we had employees. Little by little that plan dissolved into the liquid that is the current global situation.
The Spirit of Adventure
Covid reminds me that adaptability is an important trait to have. It’s this trait that probably kept our ancestors alive through all the global catastrophes that spanned recorded history and beyond. The spirit of adventure is the fundamental core of adaptability. Without adventure there’s no context when the storms come. Without this context the trials and tribulations of life crush us. Life is not just the goal; if it were then all the billionaires would be happy.