The Massage Pundit

It’s that time of the year when a lot of people pause to give thanks for those things they are grateful for. I need to throw in my two cents.

A few months ago when I checked in at the AMTA National Convention in Orlando, I was thrilled when I opened my registration packet and found that instead of just my name badge, some kind soul had put the word “PRESS” in big letters underneath my name. To whomever that was, thank you.

Since I have been blogging about the politics of the massage and bodywork profession, I have seized the opportunity to contact people at the top of some of the entities I’ve written about…I like to present all sides of an issue, when possible, and give the representatives of those organizations a chance to respond, when they will. I’m happy to say that most of them have taken me up on it, in spite of the fact that I have as often as not been hard on them on the blog.

I try to keep my finger on the pulse of all the organizations, participate in a lot of discussion forums, and read as many of our publications, relevant research and articles, and other people’s blogs as much as I can.  One thing is clear to me, we do have a profession that cares, and an industry that supports that profession in too many ways to count. Even when I disagree with the actions of some of our organizations, I respect the people who are trying to do their jobs as leaders; I recognize that they have a huge responsibility, and you can’t please all the people all of the time.

I do want to thank some people personally.

I’m going to start with Paul Lindamood, CEO of the NCBTMB. I have criticized the NCBTMB and many times, him personally, for more than two years. I met Mr. Lindamood in person in Orland a few months ago, and he politely listened to me rant about what I perceive to be the shortcomings of the NCB for the better part of an hour. I have since had the occasion to correspond with him, and other people at the NCB, about various concerns of mine, and they have been very timely in answering, which is a big improvement over recent years.

Elizabeth Langston, the exam development director, has taken a bunch of flak from a lot of people over the advanced certification exam project, and remained gracious and polite about it, as have Angie Palmier and Christopher Alvarado.  I have to admire that.

Debra Persinger, executive director of the FSMTB, along with the Board of Directors of that organization, has done an excellent job, not only in getting a fine organization off the ground, but also in communicating with the state boards and test applicants they serve. Whenever I’ve had a question, they’ve been very quick to answer. The Federation is definitely operating in an atmosphere of transparency, and that’s the way it should be. Kudos to them.

Rick Rosen, executive director of the recently formed Alliance for Massage Therapy Education, is a fellow North Carolinian, was the first chapter president of AMTA in our state, was the first chair of the North Carolina Board of Massage & Bodywork Therapy that I now serve on, and knows the law better than most lawyers. I’ve encouraged him to run for governor, but he’s too busy serving our profession. He has answered my questions about the law many times, and more recently about the AFMTE, and I wish him luck in that endeavor. I’ll be publishing my interviews with him and our other professional organization leaders soon.

I have called on Judy Stahl, president of AMTA, and Liz Lucas, executive director, several times for clarifications when I was writing something about AMTA, and I appreciate the fact that they have been very open and forthcoming with information. Ron Precht at the AMTA office also deserves my thanks.

Kate Ivan Henrioulle, the new executive director of COMTA, doesn’t know me from Adam’s house cat, but she recently granted me an interview as well. Thank you.

Les Sweeney, fearless leader at ABMP, fellow massage therapist, musician, and comic force, deserves my thanks, as does Jean Robinson, ABMP’s government relations representative.

Lara Evans Bracciante of the massageprofessionals.com website, thank you.

Karen Menehan, editor of Massage Magazine, and Jennifer Whaley, editor of the massagemag.com website, along with Manuel Lirio, technical guru, thank you for publishing my articles and my blog. They have provided the platform for my diatribes and I appreciate it.

Leslie Young Giase, editor of Massage & Bodywork Magazine, thank you.

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, especially John Goucher, Linda Francis, and my free-lance editor Betsy Dilernia, thank you.

Mike Hinkle of the World Massage Festival, thank you.

Sally Hacking, the Undisputed Queen of Government Relations, thank you. I want to be just like Sally when I grow up.

Jan Schwartz, Jan Kempster, Judith McDaniel, and Susie Que of Education Training Solutions, thank you.

Ryan Hoyme, Bodhi Haraldsson, Keith Eric Grant, Christopher Moyer, Paul Ingraham, and Michael Reynolds, thank you for all you so graciously share with the rest of us.

To my awesome network of massage therapists across the country and the world, thank you. Many of you keep me up to date on what’s happening with massage in your neck of the woods. You are the family of hands. We hold each other up.

To those who read my blogs and articles and buy my books, follow me on Twitter and FB, and argue with me on the forums, thank you!

I’ve probably forgotten someone. I hate it when that happens! Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

Peace & Prosperity,

Laura Allen