Allergies

Trees are putting out pollen in my corner of the world, so I am not feeling well at all. Runny nose, hoarse voice, stuffy head, strange cough - you name it, I have it right now. I am pretty miserable, but off to work I go.

I don't want to go. I don't want to sing to others today, I just want to sleep, but I have to get going. Fortunately, I have plans for this sort of thing. This week's plan is to use Audacity a bit, but I might just abandon all of that in favor of videos on the Promethean board or karaoke with the microphones. Or instrument JINGO (yep, you heard that right - JINGO) - things that help me run groups without having to be very musical.

I always feel like this type of session is a cop out, but I also need to have these contingency plans for the weeks where I am out of commission due to the allergens present where I live. I am miserable, and making music on top of the symptoms of hay fever is not good for me or for my kids. There are times when self-care has to take precedence over other-care.

This is one of those times, I think.

The problem with working with humans is that my job has to change to accommodate not only their situations but mine as well. I always feel guilty when I cannot be present or when I cannot do what I want for my clients. I just want to curl up in my bed and sleep until I can breathe again, but that's not the job. The job is to care for others and relate to them through music.

I ordered a new keyboard for the music therapy clinic. The one that my facility currently owns is falling apart after 29 years of use, and rather than trying to explain the quirks to the next music therapist, I decided to purchase another one and take the broken one home. The keyboard should arrive today (or came on Saturday - I'm not sure which), so we could unpack that and get to know a bit about it during the session as well. Something else that we can do that does not use my singing voice.

There are plenty of things in my TME compendium that do not use my singing voice. There are plenty of things that do not need my active presence either. I have many things that I can do with my clients - I just need to figure out what I am going to do until the trees stop pollinating and grass takes over (that's a different type of hay fever - yet, the allergist says I'm not "allergic" to much of anything - my opinion, he did not test me with the things that I am allergic to!! - story of my life!).

Time to get ready for the day at work. Five groups and an individual to get through. I can do it.

This is a week of goodbyes - both of my suitemates will be gone next week. They have new adventures to go on, and I will be still plodding away towards my own new adventures. It is going to be quiet in my part of the facility because they have not found anyone to take their places. Anyway, time to get going into the week. 

Wish me luck!


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