So much has happened.....

....over the last few years.  I forgot I'd written these few entries in the past and I can't promise to continue in the future.  But now I have to bring any reader up to speed with my life.  It's been six years since I left teaching because of almost daily migraines.  That's not as bad as it sounds in my case, because I also have a mail-order business and other things that each make me some amounts of money.  But still, I'm mostly at home with nothing to do, or really nothing I want to do because of these almost constant headaches.  Now I've had a long time interest in massage and for many years after giving my wife a massage she usually says something like "you could make money doing that".  So maybe 1.5 years ago I started considering massage as a new, additional thing to do with my time.  I started putting posts on Craigslist offering free massages and gave several, building up my confidence.  Anyhow, one Sunday we had our kids and grandchildren all here and I had a migraine that was awful and wouldn't respond to any meds.  with all those children running around and screaming it was too noisy.  But I couldn't tell my children and grandchildren to leave, what kind of life would that leave me if I couldn't visit with them?  One of my daugthers is an ER nurse and she wanted to take me to the ER, but I just said wait and as people left it got quieter and my headache got better.  I see that as leading to what happened next.  The following Tuesday morning I woke up with the thought that the only way I would have any motivation to get out of bed any more is if someone else were waiting for me to help them with their pain.   Do you think that makes sense?  Anyhow the next day I visited a local massage school and signed up.  My first visit to the school.....wow!  There were about 17 young girls, half of them on massage tables naked with a sheet folded up covering their butts, or something like that.  I wanted to look at the girls and see what they were doing, but it made me uncomfortable also.  I was the only man there and I felt like I was intruding - or could be accused of intruding.  But it was my chance to make a change in my life.  This school was great for someone with migraines or another illness.  Basically they had a time-clock.  Punch in and out when you're there and when you reach 500 hours you graduate.  Miss a class, a day a week, a month, a year - no problem, just come back and keep punching in/out and you'll graduate.  And I did it!  It was so awesome bonding with so many nice people of all ages.  OK, mostly women but I like women. Now I've graduated and I'm studying for the "State Boards" which is really a national test.  When I pass I can be licensed and charge people for massages.  Until I'm licensed it's free and actually I think it's harder to give it away now than it will be to sell massage when I'm licensed.  People maybe are afraid of what's being offered.  But it's a hard profession for a man anyhow.  Most men want a woman to massage them and most women are more comfortable with a woman also.  Looking at "wanted" ads it's very common for the employer to specify that they want a female.  I didn't even know that is legal.  I'm at a turning point in my life and I feel like I'm making progress.  My interests are chronic pain and relaxation - which everyone needs anyhow. Each day stands on it's own though.  Some are miserable because of headaches and some are wonderful.  Some days I get a migraine and I can chase it away and others are just pain with no relief.  I have a super nice friend from school and even though she's almost 30 years younger than me we enjoy doing lunch, going to the beach, and then trading massages.  My wife has no problem with it and that's so cool!  It's all what it should be - friendly and non-sexual.   I've been isolated so long, no real friends.  I'm glad to move towards friendships and networking.  Gotta go - I'm afraid I'll lose all this.