98 Days (And Counting...)

Time flies when you’re…wait…that’s not right. I mean, it’s not that I haven’t been having ANY fun. Surely some snuck in over the past 98 days.

Right?

So it’s been 98 days since I closed by massage therapy practice due to COVID-19. Yes, I still get sad and misty eyed typing that out. Apparently 98 days wasn’t long enough to completely get used to that idea.

But I’ll talk more another day about what I’ve done while away and cut to the chase: Governor Baker of Massachusetts has deemed Monday, June 22nd the start of step 2, phase 2 of the state reopening plan. As part of that plan, close personal services like massage therapy are permitted to reopen provided they meet certain mandatory safety standards and industry specific protocols for best practices set by the state. And I am absolutely in agreement with these standards, as well as those put out by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and by my professional organization, Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. (Oh goodness, no, dear clients. I don’t expect you to read all of that. That’s my job. I just know I have some colleagues who visit me here, too.) That being said…

I will not be open for business on June 22nd.

That probably bums you out, huh? It bums me out. Some of y’all might even be frustrated, annoyed or mad. I get it. I am all of those things, too. But some of you? Some of you might view this as permission to feel relief. Relief to take reopening at a pace more in line with your individual comfort and preparedness.

That’s how I feel. I need more time.

So here’s the (vague) plan.

While I’ve been a busy, busy bee for the past 3+ months, I have lots more to do. LOTS. (Oh my gosh you should see the shambles my office is in right now. Wait…no you shouldn’t. Secrets are good.) And I want to be completely transparent in what I have already accomplished and continue to be preparing.

So I had an idea: we’re gonna have coffee. Lots of coffee. Oh my gosh, the coffee we will have.

See, I want to have fun with this a bit and I miss you. So, at least a few times a week, I’m going to go live on Instagram (@jenndurkinlmt) and sit down to chat with you over coffee. (I was gonna say daily, but let’s not set the bar too high. I’m still running a really active household right now in my “time off”. Time OFF? HA! There has been no “off” during this time. Holy moly I crack me UP.) I’ll figure out a rough schedule and let y’all know so that if you have questions or comments for me, you can join. Each session will cover a different topic related to my new business model: gloves, masks, smocks, sanitizer, intake protocols, new scheduling systems, etc. (Ooooo! See how I called it a “new business model” and not “COVID-19 preparedness”? Foreshadowing!) There will be some days I step away from infection control related topics because, well, I’ve been kinda quiet for 98 days and it turns out, I’ve got a lot to say.

If Instagram isn’t your thing, fret not. There will be an accompanying blog post on each topic here as well to summarize. I’ve been neglecting my blog a bit too long.

So look at June 22nd as me reopening a dialog with you.

No, I don’t have a specific date I plan to reopen. And that’s as hard for me as it is for you. Trust me. I like a good solid plan as much as the next gal. But I’m inviting you to ride shotgun on this road trip with me so that we are all as comfortable as possible when we reach that final destination.

Go dust off that virtual travel mug. I’ll go brew some coffee.