POCA’s Punks need Patients as much as we Patients need POCA’s Punks to Poke us
- I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel pretty bogged down by the state of our world. The food system, imperialist wars, corrupt government, education and corporate greed can all make me feel angry and helpless. Luckily, when I accidentally catch wind of some infuriating current events, I can head right to my beloved community acupuncture clinic for a relaxing treatment. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh. Government shutdown melts away. Mandatory standardized testing of 8 year olds, buh-bye. Every.single.commercial.insulting.my.intelligence, tah tah for now.
- That’s the needles, doing the work. But there is more. Beyond the roomful of recliners, there is POCA. Clinics, punks, and patients all working together toward the common goal of helping people feel better–in an affordable way. Forgot about the problems of the planet, here is a group dedicated to alleviating pain and suffering of their neighbors. I joined POCA because community acupuncture was something I could FEEL helping me. I could SEE it helping others. I HOPED more people could get acupuncture. Even more, I could SENSE kindred spirits in the ranks of POCA. As a member of POCA, I can be part of a group who is DOING something about the state of the world.
- To me, POCA represents not only revolution, but evolution. Sometimes it seems like there aren’t a whole lot of people in the world sharing. (Didn’t we all learn that in kindergarten?) POCA is set up specifically for cooperation, not competition. Clinics share information about their business practices, punks care about their community, patients get involved and volunteer, money-while a necessity-is NOT the end-all-be-all. POCA’s punks need patients as much as patients need punks to poke us. (Sorry, did I spit on you?) We can only move forward with our common goal together. And it’s not all work…we like to have fun, too. POCA Fest was a testament to that. https://www.pocacoop.com/pocatv/post/the-sliding-scale-dancers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQFcLgLe7ag&feature=youtu.be
- Want to cooperate AND have some fun with us?
Thank you, Guest Blogger. This is beautiful. It captures the spirit, the philosophy, and the reality of POCA in every way.
Awesome, Kristie! You have really highlighted the power of HOPE, which is actually not a magical thing, but a deliberate creation that takes lots of work. Of course, it is work of the best kind 🙂 Thanks for writing and repping us patients so well!
(wiping the saliva off me)
Hey! I don’t know where the Sliding Scale Dancer’s video has gone off to but I promise to find it and bring it back!