The earthquake last month in Haiti caused me sadness and empathy, but truthfully little else. A country far away, another catastrophe, I guess I felt too removed to feel much more. But this past Friday, when my daughter posted this message to her Facebook page, that distance from disaster changed quickly:
“Backpacking for a few weeks! Bus to Santiago, Chile tonight!”
Suddenly an event that was far away was brought very close. The internet is a wonderful tool when it comes to instant news access, but when that news doesn’t narrow its focus to what you are seeking, it can be frustrating. As the death toll slowly rose throughout the day, news of how it had effected specific areas was still scant. Finding a bus schedule offered some solace, as the trip was a long one and hoped that the bus system was inefficient. I imagined the bus being slowed by my stereotypes of locals with cages of chickens and poor roads. It turned out that the bus was on time, but a long one. My daughter spent the time on her bus not aware of anything, arriving in Santiago in time for only a minor aftershock. They were swept off to a coastal city where damage was less.
So what does all of this have to do with Myofascial Release? Maybe nothing. It has to do with gratitude. I am grateful and feel like a layer of insulation has been peeled away. Whether in the therapy setting or in life, it is all about growth.
Walt Fritz, PT
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