Anything handed down from the past as from an ancestor or
predecessor. Something inherited from a predecessor a heritage from a previous
time that has influence now. Left behind
old or no longer in active use.
"Legacy." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2014. Web.
14 Jul 2014. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/Legacy>.
I am working on textbook revisions. I am always working on textbook
revisions. At the same time there are
students to teach, clients to see, calls and emails to answer and the forever ongoing
list. On the person side there is
laundry to do, weeds to pull, beans to pick and kitty litter to clean among a
ton of other tasks. On the family side
there are people to see, gatherings to attend, birthdays to celebrate, kids to
hug, people to call and well, you get the idea.
However, I am taking the time to write this Blog post.
I saw the term Legacy used to describe a type of massage
schools. My assumption when reading was
that Legacy schools were those created back in the day by committed massage
therapists and sometimes called Mom and Pop schools. I liked the term legacy. The school I have owned and do a majority of
the teaching is 29 years old this fall and falls into my assumed definition of
legacy schools. Made me proud. Then I looked up the definitions of the word.
Anything handed down
from the past as from an ancestor or predecessor.
Can I claim that my school was handed down to me? No, I
opened the school many years ago. My daughter now manages the school ( and me)
and my youngest son who is a practicing massage therapist has been being
groomed for years to take over more of
the teaching and eventually writing for me as I get older( much older). For these two the school is a legacy. The various textbooks I have written could also be
considered legacy. Most of all, the teachers and clients I have had over the
many years have been a legacy for me.
What have I inherited that I can describe as a legacy? Certainly all the information I have accumulated
comes from those that precede me. I have been blessed with teachers and mentors
that molded me in my younger days and continue to influence me. Those experiences were not always pleasant but
I will never be able to be thankful enough for their time and expertise.
The crazy
professional development pathway of the massage profession has left a legacy
that influences now. There has been real
progress in the massage community in the past 5 years. It has been bumpy, frustrating, messy, silly,
expensive, BUT the end results to this point indicate maybe the fragmented past
is moving to a more cohesive future. I
sure hope so.
Our past as a professional
community with all the in fighting and unnecessary competition is nothing to be extraordinary proud of. There have been bright spots for sure. The Massage Therapy Foundation is certainly a
star. The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education is an important bright spot that should be supported by all massage therapy organizations. The American Massage Therapy Association AMTA in particular should suspend the competing meetings and activites and put full support behind the Alliance.
There are individuals who I am
proud to know. They have stuck it out just like I have and often been much more
tactful in there guidance than I have. While we all have to admit that what we
do is always somewhat self-serving, the individuals I am thinking of soften this by being dedicated to serving
the massage profession as a whole.
Left behind, old or no longer in active use
This was the part of the definition of legacy that was the wakeup
call. All the warm fuzziness of my
original perception of legacy now had some prickles. There are things that I think the massage
community has left behind and has made or is making a huge mistake.
We need to move forward and overcome the unproductive massage organization behavior legacy from the past.
There are other things we should leave behind. Out dated information about how massage
works, outdated opinions about ergonomics and body mechanics, and old resistance to
change in the profession.
One thing we
need to leave behind is outdated information, opinions and emotions about the
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. I never fully supported the old certification
process. I have never supported
certification be used as licensing.
Licensing is a measure of minimal baseline practice at entry level to
protect the public. Certification was
degraded when it became intertwined with licensing. This is all now in the past and not a legacy
we want to embrace and take into the future.
BUT ----
Board Certification through the National Certification Board
for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork represents the first steps in true
validation of expertise beyond licensing.
It is not perfect. What is?
AND -----
Board Certification is important, needed and needs to be
supported by the massage community. Board Certification is a major step forward
in professional development and the past is just that—the past. Attitudes
no long valid should follow this definition of legacy.
Left behind, old or no longer in active use. Enough
said.
Nailed it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I'm listening.
ReplyDeletePerfect! Listening, also. Many thanks!
ReplyDelete