Socializing to create social change

Saturdays for me are always a monumentally looooong day. Beginning at work Saturday mornings 9-1pm followed by a marathon of errands to finish up the week so the clinic (and myself) are ready to rumble for Monday.

Saturday March 10 was a particularly special day, for two wonderful reasons:

#1. We broke a record by seeing 23 patients in 4 hrs. Busting through my 19 patient ceiling, the morning was smooth, peaceful and I couldn’t have done it without our awesome volunteer Jen Letham :)

#2. I managed to drag my tired carcass out the door to a social event, a very rare occasion. And I had the chance to be in the company of those I haven’t seen for some time and also meeting new faces.

My good friend, fellow ‘punk and bandmate Silas invited me to an innovative and intimate gathering, “Peep Luck, 1.0”. I made it later into the evening…heading out of the house was low on my motivation list….but I’m glad I made it! The intention was not only to bring food to share, but also to bring company to enlarge our social circle. The evening consisted of Indian potluck, fiercely competitive slappy-happy mind games, spoken word, hilarious pin the arms on Vishnu and other lovely, simple activities.

The message to take home from this gathering (sorry if I didn’t get the word-for-word play back, like I said it was a looooong day):
– Gathering together as a social movement
– If you want to create change in the world, throw a better party (sounds about right to me!)

It brings to mind the work that I do. Running your own business and practicing on top of that consumes a lot of my time and energy, which has its rewards, but also leaves me feeling more introverted these days. I’m obliged to make the most out of the little social time I have, so its all about quality, not quantity. Silas’ gathering reminded me of how great things happen when we commune and share. No booze, no clubbing, no loud music and no peer-pressured fake socializing – only people, stories and company.

And since being a business owner and a Community Acupuncturist is a lifestyle, everything in my day is coloured through that lens. And that I feel that my work also embodies those qualities of collectiveness and connectedness. That our space provides that safety and comfort where each and every person has something physically and energetically to contribute whether they are aware of it or not. This all magically happens, without even saying a word, it just happens when people gather together with a common purpose. Quiet, beautiful and intimate community empowerment!

So mindfully, intentionally and playfully, PARTY ON brothers and sisters.