Goodbye and Many thanks
Goodbye and many thanks Community Acupuncture. My life has called me onwards and I am returning all of my focus to my work with children and the expressive arts. I am in the process of gently pulling up my roots around here and thought saying thanks and goodbye to this network is certainly part of that.
Being part of this movement has been a great journey for me. Witnessing people’s pain has made me deeply grateful for my lack of pain. Seeing people’s healing processes has created in me an avid advocate of Community Acupuncture and receiving regular weekly treatments for two years has kept me healthy, balanced and happy.
The Community Acupuncture Movement is a powerful one; I am so happy to have been part of it, to have participated in it and I will certainly continue to stay involved in some way. It means a lot to me to be part of solutions to the problems of this world; one of which is lack of affordable health care. I believe these Community Acupuncture clinics are filling a unique role in changing the way people approach healing and health- making care affordable is no small thing. During my time here, many obstacleshave presented themselves. Our clinic had to find its own way through some of them and this network offered so much as resource, as a place to start, as a place to launch from and to build on.
Thanks to all of you enterinto the dialogue and respond to questions, who offer input, wisdom, reality checks, stories, suggestions…Nora, you come to my mind the most. I have to say your responses always got me going in some new and interesting direction. I love the way you refer folks to other blogs, forum entries, and articles in newspapers or magazines. Andy, i really appreciated your level headed, kindness in the face of conflict. All of you who give of your time, your ‘mind’ and your heart here, what generosity! It’s been a pleasure to ‘read’ you and learn from you.
There are a couple of other things I’ll add in the hopes they might be helpful. Firstly, I do believe the community part of Community Acupuncture is just as important as the other part. I think showing up for community outside of the clinic and the acupuncture is a very important thing. It’s got to be a relationship that goes two ways. What I mean is, it can’t all be about us- what we need and what we are offering to the community. I think such an inward focus is tempting but not fruitful. Some of the focus must be outward. Secondly, my hope when starting two years ago, was that the non-practioner side and the patient side of this network would develop and that really hasn’t happened. I think it would really be helpful to get the administration folks united. I couldn’t seem to do that and after a while I just stopped trying and instead hung around the acupuncturist dialogues.To rally input from patients would also be of use in my opinion. And lastly, it seems to me that a great amount of energy in this site is on start up clinics and supporting them. If we want clinics to have longevity and be here in ten or twenty, 50 years, I think a little more focus on the ‘old timers’ issues would be helpful. And i suppose that will come as more and more of you become ‘old timers’.
Again, thanks to all. Good luck with your clinics and on your journeys. This network and this movement is a great example of how change comes from the people. Being part of this has opened my lenses and senses, to know solutions are everywhere- though it’s not easy to create new models, it’s not easy to go out on the limbs (and that is where the fruit is), but it is important, meaningful and totally working. I do believe that, even though this clinic has not yet found a steady rhythm after three years of hard workand much love, it is working.To be able to treat so many people, be part of change, be doing what you love to do and are called to do and to be part of solution to a serious justice issue- What a gift!
Stay together!
peace,
deer
Former Office Staff @ Community Acupuncture on Cape Cod
I will miss you, deer
I have enjoyed your comments and also lament the only occasional admin imput. Perhaps when there are more…
Good Luck and thanks for your participation and enthusiasm.
thanks so much deer
i’ve really enjoyed your posts the past couple of years. glad you’ll stay involved in some way. good luck with your next adventure!
all the best!
all the best to you, deer, in your new journey! i have really enjoyed your posts, especially this one,
https://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/community-chi-coming-out-office
which captured so beautifully the simple, daily things that actually create and support community–this post feels like “grace”
and when we are ready to have office staff, this post will be part of any orientation materials we provide.
https://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/still-searching-office-staff
thank you for all your contributions and support of your clinic and the CA movement, thank you for sharing your insights, suggestions, questions and struggles as well as your successes–our community is richer from having you in it.
Melissa
Good health is not a measure of adapting to a sick society.
When the power of love outshines the love of power, the world will know peace.
*sniff*
Oh Deer, you will be missed. I always appreciated your thoughtfulness and insights…
Wistfully waving goodbye to you, from the crowd,
and wishing you the best wherever you go, knowing that those around you will benefit hugely from your large-hearted presence and enormous competence.
I just took the whole paragraph…
“There are a couple of other things I’ll add in the hopes they might be
helpful. Firstly, I do believe the community part of Community
Acupuncture is just as important as the other part. I think showing up
for community outside of the clinic and the acupuncture is a very
important thing. It’s got to be a relationship that goes two ways. What
I mean is, it can’t all be about us- what we need and what we are
offering to the community. I think such an inward focus is tempting but
not fruitful. Some of the focus must be outward.”
-apparently we as acupuncturists still need to figure how to do…it may happen locally but not at the level of this website..good always to be reminded of this.
“Secondly, my hope when
starting two years ago, was that the non-practioner side and the
patient side of this network would develop and that really hasn’t
happened. I think it would really be helpful to get the administration
folks united. I couldn’t seem to do that and after a while I just
stopped trying and instead hung around the acupuncturist dialogues”
-sorry for us that never panned out…I wonder why that is?
“To
rally input from patients would also be of use in my opinion. And
lastly, it seems to me that a great amount of energy in this site is on
start up clinics and supporting them. If we want clinics to have
longevity and be here in ten or twenty, 50 years, I think a little
more focus on the ‘old timers’ issues would be helpful. And i suppose
that will come as more and more of you become ‘old timers’.”
-this may include trying to solicit input from places in the world and neighborhoods around that have long kept acupuncture in the public domain…I have heard this from many folks who come from parts of Asia, “this is just like we do at home.” It will be a long time before even WCA would be considered a “long timer.”
Thanks for trying to include community on this forum and reminding us to keep trying too.
Best of luck, tess
Whomever you work with next will be lucky ducks
Cheers to you deer.
Thanks for your insights and the mirror you held up for us.
Thank you deer
For your kind words and important perspective. I wish you all the best, and hope to “see you around” – we’ll be working on all those things you mentioned.