MarylandMitch's Massage Interview
Do you consider yourself a successful Masseur?
I do consider my self to be successful. But there are many different degrees of success. When I decided to undertake this venture, I did it with two different types of goals in mind. First to be a good, beneficial, and stimulating therapist that clients would want to return to again and again, but secondly, I wanted to be able to share with gay men, or even straight men, that feeling that they may have are not inherent to just them. Coming up in an era where being gay wasn't so fabulous, I know what one went through to finally allow their true feelings to come out.
For me, I still had time to enjoy my lifetime. I'm very patient, understanding, and therapeutic, so if it's your new to the M2M experience, I'll hold your hand, I'll lead the way, it's ok not to know what to do or say or how to feel. Everyone was there once and I feel honored when someone lets me help them cross the threshold. I know my hands and body, work and play well with others, and I'm successful, but my real success comes when I know that I had a client that came in hesitantly, maybe scared, but left a confident man, knowing there's nothing wrong with him or his feelings, and he's ready to conquer.
How long have you been a Masseur and how long do think you'd like to continue?
Off and on it's been a long time, truthfully too long to remember and although some may not want to hear this, I hopefully will be doing this for many many years to come. I not one for retirement. I truly enjoy what I do. I get the chance to make someone comfortable, to feel better, to maybe change how they feel for the day, turn that frown upside down. Corny I know, but that's what should keep one motivated in this business. One can't get that kind of feeling in very many professions out there, but being a masseur does give you the ability to change someone's demeanor and help them to have a better day, or even a better week. Sometimes you're helping to relieve a particular ache or pain, with others you may be helping to change their mood, with others maybe just a bit of relaxation time, but they are all working towards making the client feel better when they leave vs when they arrived. How many professionals can say they do that every day.
What distinguishes you from all the other Masseurs?
I wouldn't necessarily say from all others, but from many, I feel I have certain attributes that I've earned in life. Through years of success and failures, ups and downs financially, changes in appearance, being gay, playing straight, coming out like a wild man, working in the political arena, being an entrepreneur, becoming an activist, all of these things make me more like the person lying on the table before me. When one lives life in general we learn from our experiences and I've had many and I can relate to issue or crises that a client may be dealing with. I may not have the six pack the client wants to touch, but with the strength in my hands the compassion in my heart and the knowledge in my head, it's a good wealth of resources when you're wanting to make a client feel good. I am different than most, and I hope in a good way but I know that I'm not for everyone. Look sometimes, all I want is that hot stud, I really don't care what's in his head, I'm not looking there. I just hope that when someone is looking for a well organized package, they'll give me a chance to see that I am different.
How would you like someone that contacts you for a massage to feel when they leave?
My goal is that when they leave, they feel better than when they arrived, they enjoyed the time we spent together and that they either don't want to leave or can't wait to return.
How often do you travel? Do you prefer to travel or are you more of a homebody?
Lately not often enough. I love to travel and when the opportunity arises, I can be ready on a moment's notice. If a client asked, I'd probably say yes.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a Masseur?
My best advice would be that one give this a great deal of thought. This is a profession that requires dedication and patience. One will come in contact with many different kinds of people, and one cannot pick and choose. Clients come in all different shapes and sizes as well as many different personalities. You goal should be to make everyone comfortable, therefore as a Masseur, you must be comfortable around everyone.
Some people say that being a Masseur is addictive. Would you miss your Masseur days ?
Without question. The prime reason I became involved is that I derive tremendous pleasure from the ability to make people happy. Since I'm able to achieve this goal through Massage and Therapy, I think I would have a huge void in my daily routine if I retired from it. In addition to the desire to make people feel good, I also get a good feeling that in come instances I've been able to help a client break through to their true feelings. For some clients, coming to a gay masseur, may be their first M2M experience, and being the individual guiding that journey has tremendous impact.