Honoring the origins

South Pasadena CA

12 December, 2020

1:47 PM

Description

My grandpa and six of his brothers played pro football. They played for the Columbus Panhandles who played against the Dayton Triangles in the first official all-NFL game in Dayton Ohio in Oct. of 1920. That was back in the days when Jim Thorpe would come to my Mother's house for dinner. My younger brother and I were reminiscing about those stories we used to hear in our home as kids years ago. It's not like that now, my brother continued in the conversation. Not many people really want to know the value of the origins of football, or even the teams that were made up by family members, they are too busy enjoying the game. We wondered if those Nesser brothers would even recognize the evolution of American football that is enjoyed by millions of Americans today. Climate change isn't the only topic when it comes to preserving the origins of what was created long ago. Which brings me to the next topic, the preservation of therapeutic massage. History teaches us that massage in its originality was considered sacred. The tribal practitioners were spiritual teachers that were highly respected for their natural knowledge. Nature surrounded them and healing waters were used as extension of that healing connection. Cleanliness was not just a hygienic practice but the very spiritual essence of the treatment itself. What would our original holistic teachers have to say about the evolution of the sacredness of a good massage today? Medical massage? Where is the nature? It's not about dependency, but self realization. Those who came before us have given us tremendous gifts. But how many gifts have we given them in return? When something so real becomes a byproduct, it loses not only it's value, but you also lose that value as well. It becomes a short term high and you miss out on the full experience that is meant to be experienced as long term. When my brother visited the pro football hall of fame in Canton Ohio, there was a mural there of my grandpa Frank and his brothers. Behind them stood my great grandmother and great grandfather. She had big shoes my brother told me, their uniforms looked small as if they had outgrown them years ago. But more importantly, the origins of the Nesser brothers remained right there with them. My great grandparents were the seed of what would be. They were honored, and respected and not left out. What was gifted to us today is not kept alive by our deeds, but by the merits of our teachers of long ago. Patricia Huff Massage Therapist, South Pasadena.