Waiting on ourselves

[Barrett Dorko]

Patience is the genius that allows us to touch the world in a way that does not turn it into gold, but allows it to reveal itself, as itself, in ways that continue to astonish, frighten and delight.

David Whyte

Slowly, I’ve learned to wait. I imagine my personal capacity for this is about average, and manual care requires more than that. Sensing movements not immediately evident to the eye requires that I use my hands and, if possible, communicate with the patient verbally in a fashion that indicates some mutual trust. I’ve learned that what I feel is real but may not reside in the patient’s awareness. At least, not yet.

This essay, now at least ten years old, still conveys my current thoughts about what touching another can do and why. When I teach it isn’t hard to get most students to lighten up on their pressure, but they typically lack the capacity to wait a few moments before sensing what they might. They quit too early out of frustration or they remain where they are without making a decision to move and seek another place to enter.

In the end, it isn’t the patient that that grows impatient – it’s the therapist.

They need to learn to wait for themselves.

[keithp]

Personally timely...thank you. I appreciate that you seem to convey more in purposeful brevity than I can in the lengthiness of my own musings.

[Richard Finn]

Thanks Barrett,

People need read the post and the links. There's gold in them there links! Science as opposed to voodoo!

Richard

[Barrett Dorko]

Thanks for this.

[byronselorme]

I was just reading one of your old old posts yesterday form 1999 about the book The Hand: How its use shapes the brain....

For the research oriented, Wilson gives us an explanation of kinematic and positron emission tomography in relation to learned sequential finger movement. This is just one of several ways he demonstrates the ability of the hand's activity to change us. Another is through an intricate description of the puppeteer's art. I prefer the latter myself.

I have to say that the most interesting part of your writing is the ability to even consider a whole other half of the world.

Diane Dupuy has a company called Famous People Players. She trains many disabled people to be puppeteers and their skill to create a show is amazing. Such an inspiration.
There is a video on this page.

Imagine the patience she must have.

[keithp]

I was finishing washing my hands in the men's room this morning when a gentleman walks in:

Him (zip): How goes the battle?

Me (drying hands): It seems for every yard gained, another yard is lost.

Him: Oh...that doesn't go sound good.

Me (throwing away towel, walking out the door): Au contraire, my friend...never mistake a lack of immediate progress for defeat.

I smiled as I walked down the hallway...somehow I think that this conversation may have played out differently had I not visited SS earlier today.

[Barrett Dorko]

I especially appreciate Richard Finn's comment, but, given his clinical work, I'm wondering what he thinks he's waiting for. In the patient, that is.

Richard?

[byronselorme]

I think I should add to my comment. Imagine the patience they all must have. I was speaking as if she is the magician that Operates on them. Diane, you'd have my skin for that