I guess that I've always loved to make people feel better. When I was young I would make faces at people or do funny voices to try to make them laugh. As I got older, I began to realize that people liked to be touched. I then observed that specific types of touch could really make people feel better and even relieve pain. I started to watch others give and receive massage. I would make mental notes when I received massage that felt good and attempt to copy those techniques. My friends and family were rather appreciative of my efforts, and many would joke about me becoming their personal massage therapist. I didn't really consider it as a career option though, and many years passed. During my teen years, I gained a greater understanding of the human body, and when I gave massage, it was more effective. I pursued other interests I had though, and still didn't consider massage therapy a viable career option. I thought that massage was just a luxury and the economy wouldn't allow me to make a living.
Then I volunteered for a Christian outreach program. For 6 months my teammates and I endeavored to serve in any capacity available to us. We worked part-time jobs, spoke God's Word, and hosted bible fellowships. One thing that I did in addition to those things was give massage. I saw that massage was really effective in relieving pain from stress and injury. I also saw that God was willing and able to work in me to help heal people. My part in the healing process became more apparent and more exciting. Still, I wasn't totally sure that massage was something I wanted to do for a living. Sure I liked working on people I already liked, but what about those people that come in smelling worse than a locker-room at the end of a season or the people that have foot fungus? Would I have to work on them too? With those reservations, I decided not to go to school for massage. I had other career avenues in mind, namely, political journalism.
Thankfully, I wasn't able to find a university near me to get the degree I wanted in journalism. However, there was a local college where I would be able to study massage, and the program, though expensive, was only 9 months. I had been considering massage therapy for several years, so after discussing options with my husband, we decided to get more information. We stopped into the school and spoke to an admissions representative. She brought me in to meet the program director who told me about the subjects I would learn in school. I started getting excited. I would be learning all about the body, and how to cause beneficial changes within a person's body. I got really excited. Not to get my hopes up too much, I did more research about job prospects before committing to going to school. I found out that I would be able give medical style massage in a health care setting and there were plenty of openings for someone who was willing to study hard. With that knowlege in mind, I signed up for classes and enrolled that spring.
I found that I really enjoyed my classes. Even though there was a lot of information to process, I enjoyed the subject matter, and didn't mind putting in the work. I ended up making a 4.0 grade point average throughout my time at school, and graduated with honors. I passed my licensure test with flying, vibrant colors. I had a job lined up at Edwards Chiropractic before I finished school, so as soon as I had my license in hand, I was able to start working.
I may be biased, but I they do believe that I have the best job in the world. My clients come to me in pain due to various ailments or injuries, and I'm able to either decrease or eliminate that pain. Some clients come to me with limited range of motion or difficulty moving, and their bodies receive relief and are able to move how they should. Not everything can be remedied in one session. Longstanding patterns take longer to correct. However, one session is usually all it takes to experience at least a little relief. I love hearing about pain going away and people being able to do their favorite things with no pain!
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