Here's to Twenty-Six Years! On to Twenty-Seven!!

Today is my music therapy anniversary. It is the day that I transitioned from the role of intern to the role of music therapist. It is not the day that I became board certified - that happened in November, but it is the day that I officially started writing MT behind my name (instead of MTI!).

I have been a music therapist for twenty-six years now. During that time, I did not have the job title of music therapist for about three of those years, and I have not always been doing only music therapy, but I have identified myself as a music therapist first and foremost for all of that time.

My sister has decided that she is going to retire when she gets to her 30 year anniversary of teaching. She has figured out that she can retire with full benefits at that time and will travel and do things outside of the school where she has taught for her entire career. She has decided that I will retire as well, so I can take advantage of retirement as well. She has 23 years of professional experience, so the retirement plans will be starting in 7 years. Those plans include emigrating and teaching someplace else.

I'm not sure about all of these plans. I don't know that I will be able to leave the day-to-day interactions of being a music therapist for a life of travel. I'm not sure about all of the plans that she is making, but I figure that the day-to-day interactions at my current facility will be something that my aging body will be ready to give up at that time. The idea of spending time traveling is something in the back of my mind all the time. So, maybe retirement is something I should be considering right now.

For the moment, however, I am thinking about this next year of professional interaction and responsibility. I would like to travel somewhere to do something for another music therapist. I think I would be good at inventory or scheduling or training or something that another therapist could use. I would like to finish several more continuing music therapy education courses (CMTEs) and keep generating music therapy resources for my fellow music therapists.

Twenty-six down. Here come's twenty-seven and, let's hope, many more years in this profession that I still love. Does anyone have any cake??