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"who gave me the right to write"> my personal critique is that there's a lot of information out there, but not a lot of wisdom. As such I have mixed feelings about writing, presenting yet another opinion into the data-ether. I haven't decided that I'm wiser than anyone else and therefore get to write, but my perspectives originate from my experience, and my experiences may be helpful to those who seek perspective on these topics.

I feel like I should point out that I'm a humble massage therapist, who sometimes writes. I originally studied anthropology at UT, did quite well, got the paper etcetera, but that doesn't really qualify me to further pollute the web with factoids and data. That being said, I allow that my experience around the table, bolstered by my former training, places me in an ideal position to broker some of the unspoken aspects of our shared experience in the modern world. I observe the world I inhabit, Austin, TX, as a gentler version of what's going on in the rest of our country. In the course of my career as a massage therapist I've observed what I expect to be relatively universal patterns for our culture.

The nature of my job is pretty straight forward. I meet a client, often for the first time, we chat a bit to find out why it is we are meeting, I work on them for 45 to 120 minutes, and then they leave, almost always feeling better. I love my job. It's physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding, and goes to a good cause. For the most part my job contains zero moral ambiguity; no one's going to misuse my massage for evil. I am often thanked for doing what I do in a way most professionals will never experience. Most people probably don't look forward to seeing the doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief, but I know plenty that look forward to seeing me and my kind.

However the experience around the table can be kind of nebulous, and no, I'm not talking about "happy endings". No true professional would stoop so low.

history of massage > blurry role in community > support, prostitution, shamanism > wearing it on your sleeve: how the body carries emotion>