"Occupational Hazards"

Every workplace has it's own safety issues. That being said, I work in a gorgeous spa on an airy open hilltop. The treatment rooms are superb and the atmosphere is exquisitely tranquil. My co-workers and management are extremely laid back. Of all the spas I've ever worked in, this is by far my favorite. The clientele is different here, to put it simply, they're polite. I have always had one real concern though, it hasn't ever happened in the 12 years I've been a massage therapist, but it is always been in the back of my mind... and today the 26th of August 2014, it actually happened. You see, we have these stools on casters, so you can roll them around as needed. I use them a lot so I can lower my center of gravity when working on muscles that are more tender, so I can still detail the area, but with significantly less intensity. Now let's imagine... chair with wheels + slippery yoga or harem pants + look mom, no hands. I dance this dangerous, yet virtually silent samba a number of times every hour while successfully keeping my hands on my client. I never miss a beat, I move the stool into position with my foot. To be clear my feet have flawless monkey-like dexterity. I stick the landing every time, but it is still a little cagey. Today I was working on another massage therapist who was visiting from Massachusetts. I was rocking her world when I discovered that her rotator cuffs needed some extra focus, so I perch on my chair and gently caress the right side into total submission. Maneuvering to the left side to repeat the procedure, I guided the chair into position. I went for my landing, when in painfully slow motion I found myself losing altitude. Betrayed by my outrageously beautiful, yet dangerously slippery harem pants, I slid helplessly to the floor with a loud thump followed directly by the deafening clatter of my chair bouncing off the wall. Jolted from her bliss educed coma, my client shot into a back bending clench position that can only be compared to a hot dog in a microwave, exclaiming "OH MY GOD SWEETIE, ARE YOU OKAY?!?!?!" I wasn't especially "okay" since I had, in fact, just taken a caster to the IT band, but the whole thing was so funny, I couldn't help but erupt into a hysterical fit of laughter. I pulled myself together and got back to work, choking back cackles while my client continued to laugh so uncontrollably that she thought she was going to pee herself. She said it was the highlight of her vacation and as it turns out she had been under a lot of stress and needed a good laugh. Well, mission flippin' accomplished. I like to show off my best tricks whenever I'm working on a fellow massage therapist. Sometimes it comes in handy to not take oneself too seriously.