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78 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 2 0 Lessons from Earl: Focus on the Here and Now Earl has graduated high school now, and I will probably never see him again. This must be what teachers go through all the time—letting their "kids" go—and I'm still learning how to do it in my high school wellness room. I live and work in a small rural coastal town in Maine, the kind of place people who live here year-round endure (and appreciate) and tourists invade when it's warm. The stillness, darkness, and bugs are unnerving to those unaccustomed. (Don't get me wrong, Mainers don't have bug-enduring superpowers necessarily. It's just one of many onslaughts we're prepared to cope with, much like Floridians resigning themselves to snakes.) Earl tromped into our wellness room when he was a freshman, stiff as car parts and contained as a glove box. He worked for his dad over 50 hours a week in the summer, with his arms up over his head (welding machines on lifts—autos, tractors, boats, trucks, anything that needed the intelligence and strength that only his family business can offer). His hands were clean but stained with grease and oil and his forearms felt like they had steel cables running through them. I initially mistook Earl's silence as sulking, but then realized it wasn't that at all. He was just tired from labor, which was different from his peers, who were just busy-busy-busy. I would ask Earl my questions: "What can I do for you today?" "Where is it bothering you?" "Everything," he would say. "Everywhere." Earl was on the wrestling team too, and during the season, his musculature would go from barely pliable to armored. I admired him for working so hard, and THE NUTS AND BOLTS If you find the idea of opening a wellness room appealing, you'll want to consider the following suggestions. Get some help Find a colleague or other complementary practitioner who wants to open and operate the wellness room with you. When my friend, colleague, and chiropractor of over 10 years, Dr. Jane, asked me, "Do you want to start a wellness room at the high school?" I answered, "Amen, sister! When?" Working with another professional provides more validity to your proposals and presentations. Choose a location Find a place you think could use a wellness room. High schools are a good fit (although I'm sure elementary schools and middle schools could work too). Teenagers usually have real injuries to deal with (aches and pains) already at their tender age. Don't be intimidated by the demographics of your high school. Where I live is coastal/rural, with kids in lounge pants tucked into their snow boots—and plenty of personalities and backgrounds—although the overall vibe is small town. The kids are kind of shy and suspicious of boasters and salespeople. Make your pitch Start at the top and work your way down. Most of the kids don't know they need you yet, so go after the adults. The way we did it went more or less like this: • Send a letter to the superintendent and principal (one- pager! Do not be a time-waster) stating your intentions. For example: "Hi, I'm a licensed professional massage therapist and my colleague and I have been practicing for years. We'd like to start a wellness room in your school building, where licensed professionals offer their services free of charge to students and staff. We see this as an educational experience . . ." And so on. • Ask for a moment in the teacher meeting. It is helpful if you are friends with a few of the teachers. ( Jane had these relationships, not me, so I leaned on her through this phase.) Again, keep it short and to the point: This is us. This is what we do and how long we've been doing it. This is our vision for the room. Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns. • Make a presentation to the school board. This is the same presentation you give to the teachers, but you will probably get the most skeptical feedback here. Be on board with their safety concerns. Think through your presentation, and have a plan in place keeping the room professional. Finally, pitch your idea to the students. Once you've been approved by the board and staff, you'll be ready to pitch your wares to each class. (Oh yes, you will be nervous. Don't give up now!) Tell them who you are—loud and clear and quick. If you're going to get inappropriate questions,