When Reality Tempers Projections

The title of this sounds a great deal more dour than I intended, but it is what it is. My thoughts tonight were prompted by somethings I've observed and heard over the past few weeks at my clinical site.

My CI is co-owner of the chain of clinics I'm working at presently and he works very hard to promote their offices. He often tells me that a P.T. wears multiple hats, and being in his position, if they want to stay in business, he has to attend meetings, address this, address that, and work every connection he has to keep his referral base up.

I've been particularly interested in my CI and how he balances all of his hats (hat fetish potentially contributing - chew on that one if you know me that well) because I've considered co-owning a clinic in the future. This is the plan I've been telling everyone until today when the Lead Aide (who should be a therapist, in my opinion (don't worry, she's applying)) said something during a break as she was transferring the daily notes into the computer. She and I were discussing some things that need to be brought up to the other aides and how they need to come from my CI (being the head honcho), "but he's never here" she bemoaned.

This got me thinking.

It was kinda true. My CI is scant at times, though he's usually pretty good about being in the office. However, there are days he comes in late when we're short-handed from an "authoritative" and resource standpoint (only one other staff therapist at this particular clinic, and I'm not trained to administer ASTYM, which a good portion of our patients receive). This got me thinking about my last clinical rotation where the clinic owner (also a practicing P.T.) didn't take a steady caseload because she was always on the phone with people, traveling, or presenting.

Now there may come a time when I'll want to phase more out of the patient care realm and more into administrative (potentially another projection that may get tempered by reality), but not now or anytime soon. I like being in the fox holes too much at the present - that's where I instinctively want to be. I am a healer, not a desk jockey. Not to suggest that those in administrative roles don't have a large hand in healing (I mean, who else fights the bureaucratic battles that allows the fox holers to do what they do best), and I'd be lying if I said that I don't have a tendency to pick fights to allow those coming after me a chance to get their hands dirty... Everyone has their strengths, but mine is not playing nicely with PR. I'll probably eat those words later.

I'm also the type of person who has been thrown into so many situations that I think I can do everything, and do it right. However, my thinking has changed and it'll probably be a lot longer if and when I ever decide to co-own a clinic with someone. Funny how oft times we either voluntarily or are forced to make premature decisions and hope they pan out like we hope they ought to. There are lessons always to be learned, whether or not we get our ideal or dream situation, as no education is ever wasted. Guess that's the beauty about the dance that is life.