Out on some borderline
Some mark of inbetween
I lay down golden--in time
And woke up vanishing...
(Joni Mitchell--Sweet Bird)
On our visit to the Huntsville Botanical Garden, we stopped inside this enclosure to marvel at some bonsai that have been around for a while. This particular one, a pine, was begun circa 1946. It will probably still be around after I turn to dust, as long as there are gardeners who know, and are willing to practice, the secrets of keeping these containerized plants healthy. In massage school, I keep hearing about the importance of boundaries. It seems that licensed therapists today must constantly work on keeping professional and ethical boundaries intact in order to maintain the integrity of the profession. Its history, particularly recently, has been much maligned and mocked in movies and in the minds of uninformed people. For example, in the movie At First Sight, starring Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino, the therapist/client relationship gets out of hand when the two characters fall "in lust" with each other after a session. If you have seen the movie, you'll know why I hesitate to call it love. Self-sacrifice never enters the picture. It's understandable why some people shy away from getting a massage. They learn from Hollywood to believe in the sensuality of the experience and to not trust its therapeutic value or the ethical standards of the profession. In the small Illinois town where I lived recently for a few months, massage is practically unheard of. One person who works at a fitness center there (and should know better) refers to the female practitioner as a masseuse and proudly asserts that a practice would never thrive there. I hope that kind of attitude will die out eventually and be replaced with a healthier, better informed one.
...Calendars of our lives
Circled with compromise
Sweet bird of time and change
You must be laughing...
Hubby agrees to be my human "gnomon" on this analemmatic sundial. It proves to be remarkably accurate. The time in this picture measures 10:45 a.m.
...Golden in time
Cities under the sand
Power, ideals and beauty
Fading in everone's hands...
...Give me some time
I feel like I'm losing my mind
Out here on this horizon line
With the earth spinning...
...No one knows
They can never get that close
Guesses at most
Guesses based on what each set
of time and change is touching...
(Joni Mitchell--SB)
I love the way you tie together boundaries and time. We are bound here on this Earth by the time God has given us. We can not bargain for more or turn back the hands of time. I know your future clients will appreciate the time you spend learning the skills and techniques of therapeutic massage. True, we don't control the "hands of time" but the hands can be used to help break through the boundary of pain so many people find themselves stuck in. I'm sure your future clients will appreciate all the time you take learning the skills and techniques used in therapeutic massage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting, Anonymous. You're right about only being able to live in the here and now. Trying to recall the past or worry about the future usually just gets me into trouble. I hope you visit again soon.
ReplyDeleteThese are delightful photos; I admire your gardenias, they are temperamental here in California.
ReplyDeleteYou sound focused and geared for a successful forward journey, re massage therapy and family.
Found you through a comment on Prairie Rose. I had 2 years of massage therapy for my Fibromyalgia and it was wonderful. I was so hesitant at first because I hurt when touched. But she knew what she was doing and I always felt better afterwards. I now recommend it to any one who will listen. Hold to your standards and you will do fine.
ReplyDeleteAh, Joni Mitchell--brings back memories! As Beckie just said, I am aware of the benefits of massage; she is not the only person I know who has been helped by it. My daughter's boyfriend is a massage therapist, so I wouldn't dare malign the profession!
ReplyDeleteI stopped by here yesterday but got interrupted before I could comment. Glad you stopped by to remind me! My knockout rose is the single variety--I'd love to have a double, too. Unfortunately, I lost the tag to my clematis, but it looks and acts very much like a Nelly Moser.
We had a beautiful--and dry--day today. When you mentioned the rain, are you travelling back and forth from Illinois?
Thank you, Terra. The gardenias, alas, bloom for such a short time here, almost as short as the azaleas. I'm not sure if it's just the intense heat or if that is how gardenias are supposed to behave. I've only been a Florida gardener for a few years so I'm learning as I plant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement, Beckie. It's funny, but I have more trouble convincing some members of my own family to get a massage than I do with perfect strangers. They haven't submitted yet to my daughter's hands (she is a therapist), but maybe they will to mine. You think I should hogtie 'em? ;>)
ReplyDeleteRose, I could have sworn it was a double. I do love that clematis, whatever its name is. I had a Will Godwin (I think that's the name) when we lived in Paducah, KY. It bloomed for at least three months, and the color was such a vivid blue. I have planted clematis here but haven't had much luck with it yet. Maybe it just needs another growing season or two. So far, hubby and I have only met halfway (in Decatur, AL), but I'm going back to Illinois in a few weeks to see him and other family. We have a nice long break from classes for the holiday. Thanks for your visit here.
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