Oh, the Irony

Twelve years ago I left my corporate software job to become a massage therapist.  I was hired by the massage school I had attended to be an admin part time, and I also started up my therapy practice part time.  I had many reasons for making this switch, chiefest among them that bodywork called to me very, very strongly.  The life of a 'healer' was something that I knew was in my bones.

I also made the switch for these reasons:

• to have a less complicated not-corporate-style life
• to have flexibility for singing, travel and pursuit of other interests
• to *never* have to attend a meeting again!
• to reduce my personal stress
• to have an income-producing career in which I'm not totally hooked in to the system

The hilarious part is that here I am today, practicing out of a huge regional cancer treatment center, putting together a hospital training program, and having more meetings than I ever had in my software life.  Since becoming a massage therapist, I've led and attended more breakfast meetings before 8:00am (oh, the pain) than I had even conceived of in my previous 20 years as a software developer.  I can't tell you the times I've gotten up at an ungodly hour to do a breakfast seminar for nurses, docs or other health professionals.  

And really, I only traded stresses.  I didn't eliminate them.  Well, that's a little fib:  my overall stress level did go down quite a bit, I think because I'm doing something I really love, but all in all there are still tons of stresses to be had when one is a sole-proprietor business owner.  

The flexibility I've retained - I do take time off when I want it.  I had the luxury of taking 5 weeks off last year to go a' singin' with the group who graciously hires me to do so.  It was a total blast!  And yet, I find that my clients still like their massage therapist to be there whenever they want him.  So, in that respect I'm still a little bit "hooked into the system".  

I have a slight personal phobia of people who want something from me - I don't do well with others' neediness.  Which, of course, the universe has presented to me in spades in this profession.  I get to work with that phobia all the time now.  Which is good, because that is getting a lot better.

But, dear GOD, can we please dispense with the 7:00am meetings?