This is where my head has been for the last few weeks. Focusing and trying not to be overwhelmed by the fact that I'm about to run 21km for the first time in my life. I have already accomplished running further and longer than I ever have in my lifetime during my training for this half-marathon and am about to do it again this Sunday. As a present my friend Barry gave me a two page printout of inspirational running, racing and training quotes that he researched on the net. It was such a wonderful, thoughtful and useful gift that I wanted to share them. I am currently in my last week of training, the "taper" week where I give my body a bit of a break so it can rest up for what I'm about to put it through on Sunday. I will run this race, I will finish this race and I will be so relieved when it's all over. And when I feel like I can't go any further I will remember these words...
"I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can't run, what they'd give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them. I know they would do the same for me."
"Champions are made when no one is watching."
"The extra mile is never crowded."
"Running teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
"I have met my hero, and she is me."
"It's at the borders of pain and suffering that the men and women are separated from the boys and the girls."
"I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart."
"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." Jesse Owens.
"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...it is not age, it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."
"Nothing worth having is easy."
"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It does not matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running."
"There will be days when I don't know if I can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime knowing that I have."
"You can rest when you're dead."
"If you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night and the body was never tired. You've always got to make the mind take over and keep going."
"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." Steve Prefontaine.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
What I'm Missing
During the process of buying my condominium a lot of paperwork had to be filed. I learned that when you are buying property, you have to apply for a mortgage through a mortgage broker or in our case a bank. Then comes the decision of whether or not to get your mortgage insured. I had no idea why this would make a difference until my boyfriend and I sat down and discussed the pros and cons of getting our mortgage insured. Apparently if your mortgage is insured, in the event of you or your spouse dying, losing a limb or becoming a quadrapalegic your mortgage will be paid off in full. While my boyfriend and I are both healthy, young individuals I still believed we should apply for mortgage insurance. I am one of those people who prepares for the worst while hoping for the best. I get piece of mind knowing that I am ready for the worst possible outcome. In the unlikely situation that something could happen to my boyfriend, I wanted to know that our mortgage would be taken care of. So we applied for mortgage insurance. When applying for insurance, these guys want your ENTIRE medical history. Abnormal test results, medication you've taken, conditions or diseases you've suffered from, etc. etc. the list went on and on. It was during this round of paperwork that I had to answer questions on my family history. Have you or any member of your family been diagnosed with or passed away from cancer? Yes. Have you or any member of your family been diagnosed with or passed away from a stroke? Yes.
Unfortunately if you check yes to a certain number or combination of questions the insurance company then sends you more paperwork, to get an in depth medical history regarding your health in the last six months. I just filled out that form and mailed it in yesterday.
After dropping it off in the mailbox, my boyfriend and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and it dawned on me, that what I'm missing throughout this whole condo - mortgage - insurance ordeal is my dad. I wish he were around so I could seek his advice in matters such as mortgages, insurance, loans, buying property, going back to school etc. I feel like if my dad were still alive he would be the one I would turn to for questions regarding these issues. Not that my mum isn't capable of dealing with my million questions, she has been incredibly supportive and given me great advice. I just miss my dad, I miss having another parent to turn to when considering such huge life changes such as buying a condo or going back to school. I also know my dad was extremely smart and saavy when it came to these things and his input would've been so valuable.
I am not sure what my life would be like today were my dad still alive. I am not sure I would've made all the choices I did or chose the paths I've walked. I don't know if my mum and I would be as close after going through quite a few rough patches...would we even have gone through those rough patches if my dad were around? I don't know. All I know is I miss him still so much, almost twelve years later and I wish he were alive to see everything that is going on and to talk to me about the changes I am making. So that is what I am missing in my life. And missing something so huge as my dad helps me remember that I am lucky to have everything else. I like to think that even though he isn't physically around that somehow he knows what I am doing with my life and is proud.
Unfortunately if you check yes to a certain number or combination of questions the insurance company then sends you more paperwork, to get an in depth medical history regarding your health in the last six months. I just filled out that form and mailed it in yesterday.
After dropping it off in the mailbox, my boyfriend and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and it dawned on me, that what I'm missing throughout this whole condo - mortgage - insurance ordeal is my dad. I wish he were around so I could seek his advice in matters such as mortgages, insurance, loans, buying property, going back to school etc. I feel like if my dad were still alive he would be the one I would turn to for questions regarding these issues. Not that my mum isn't capable of dealing with my million questions, she has been incredibly supportive and given me great advice. I just miss my dad, I miss having another parent to turn to when considering such huge life changes such as buying a condo or going back to school. I also know my dad was extremely smart and saavy when it came to these things and his input would've been so valuable.
I am not sure what my life would be like today were my dad still alive. I am not sure I would've made all the choices I did or chose the paths I've walked. I don't know if my mum and I would be as close after going through quite a few rough patches...would we even have gone through those rough patches if my dad were around? I don't know. All I know is I miss him still so much, almost twelve years later and I wish he were alive to see everything that is going on and to talk to me about the changes I am making. So that is what I am missing in my life. And missing something so huge as my dad helps me remember that I am lucky to have everything else. I like to think that even though he isn't physically around that somehow he knows what I am doing with my life and is proud.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
A Bit of Freedom
Approximately seven months ago I moved into my boyfriend's mothers house to give our bank accounts a rest after spending almost $400 a month to see each other. I also made this move to see if our relationship had weight and would be something long-lasting and meaningful. This move was not done to "test" of our relationship, it was done with the pure desire to be closer to each other geographically and with the hopes that living together under the same roof would bring us closer together emotionally, mentally, and physically. And all those things have happened!
However there have definitely been some things I have had to adjust to in the past seven months. The main one being living with someone else's mother; a mum who is pretty much the complete 180 of my mum. Let me explain.
My mum is literally a 5'0 version of the energizer bunny. She is an educational assistant working for the Catholic School Board during the day and is also a licensed travel agent that works from home. She is busy from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to bed, rarely stopping in between to eat or catch her breath. She takes care of travel business in the mornings and when she gets home from school. Often on her lunch breaks as well. If there is a moment where she finds herself in a lull at home, she cleans the house, does yardwork on our 1/2 acre property, visits family and spends time with her boyfriend. She occupies her nights with yoga, curling (in the winter), line-dancing, and date nights. Every weekend during the winter months she travels on Friday afternoon to our cottage north of Barrie and returns to the city on Sunday afternoons. I call home almost on daily basis, at least 5 times a week, and it's a 50/50 chance I'll catch my mum at home. She is literally on the go all the time. When I lived at home with my mum I woke up to lists of chores that needed to be done and I did them with no arguments because it takes a lot of work to look after our home. Living at home I'd usually have the house to myself 4-5 nights a week because my mum is always in and out the door. It wasn't surprising when I'd come home at around 9pm to find my mum crashed on the couch and I'd gently wake her up and guide her upstairs to her bed.
My mum has been on this vigorous schedule since a few years after my dad passed away. She has told me time and time again she would rather be too busy than not have enough to do. It started out as a distraction from everything she lost when my dad passed away and now she thrives on having things to do. I worry about her sometimes, that she is too busy and too stressed out but she rarely complains and when she does I just listen quietly because I know she needs an outlet. So that is a snapshot of my mum.
The current mum I live with, my boyfriends mother, is quite a different mum. I'll call her Mrs. Mom to make it easier to read and type instead of referring to her as my boyfriends mum. As I mentioned before she is about as opposite from my mum as can be. Whereas my mum is out 4-5 nights a week, Mrs. Mom goes out about once a month. She will meet her girlfriends for dinner at the local pub for a couple of hours and then return home. She is a retired daycare provider. Mrs. Mom opened and ran a daycare with a friend of hers for twenty some odd years and retired only a few years ago. She raised 4 children in their current home up until the ages of around 18 and you would never know it from the state of her home. It is spotless. Spotless to the point where it almost lacks a certain kind of homey-ness. Anyway back to the point, Mrs. Mom does not go out. She does her errands (grocery shopping, dry-cleaning, etc.) during the morning and is home by noon or 1:00pm the latest. After that she does not go out. She keeps herself busy by cleaning. She does my laundry, my bf's laundry, vacuums, cooks dinner every night, takes out the garbage, washes the floors, cleans the bathrooms, dusts...basically she does everything! When I first moved in I offered countless times to do my laundry, to do the dishes, to cook, to help out in any way I could and I was turned down each time. Her reasoning for doing my laundry was that she was doing hers and my bf's anyway so she might as well put my clothes in the washer and dryer too. I found that a very hard thing to accept because I like to feel useful, I like feeling like I am contributing. I started doing my own laundry when I was 12 and like I said, I am used to waking up and finding lists of chores to do. I manage to empty the dishwasher and that's the only chore I am permitted to do.
I found this incredibly hard to deal with but my bf put it into perspective. Mrs. Mom is retired so her house is her job now. She makes her day full by cleaning things and doing chores. She also has a bad hip, which she is getting replaced during a surgery in May, that prevents her from going out more often because walking is painful for her. These are the things I remind myself when I find myself suffocating under her mom-ness. She is incredibly sweet and incredibly caring. She goes out of her way to buy groceries that she knows we like. She caters to the fact that I don't eat red meat and cooks a lot of meals with chicken or fish as an alternative.
But as of yesterday bf and I have the house to ourselves for 6 days because Mrs. Mom has flown to England to spend time with one of her daughters and her granddaughter. So for the next 6 days the bf and I are enjoying a bit of freedom that we haven't had since January. We have not been alone in the house since January...it's incredible when you think about it like that. But that is the reality of this house and Mrs. Mom. She has been kind enough to let me live with her, to feed me, to clean up after me even though I protest this and have to be sneaky in order to contribute. She doesn't charge us rent or take any kind of monetary contributions for food or bills. So I buy her flowers every few weeks and desserts when we have big dinners. I fill up her car with gas whenever I get a chance and carry the laundry upstairs because it hurts her to walk up the stairs with the basket, even though she'd never complain. I don't want to take chores away from her because these are the things she does to keep busy and keep herself fulfilled. So I sit back and try my best to help where I can without overstepping boundaries.
It's been an interesting seven months to say the least, and I'm so lucky to have two mums who care about me. However I am going to thoroughly enjoy these six days of freedom.
However there have definitely been some things I have had to adjust to in the past seven months. The main one being living with someone else's mother; a mum who is pretty much the complete 180 of my mum. Let me explain.
My mum is literally a 5'0 version of the energizer bunny. She is an educational assistant working for the Catholic School Board during the day and is also a licensed travel agent that works from home. She is busy from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to bed, rarely stopping in between to eat or catch her breath. She takes care of travel business in the mornings and when she gets home from school. Often on her lunch breaks as well. If there is a moment where she finds herself in a lull at home, she cleans the house, does yardwork on our 1/2 acre property, visits family and spends time with her boyfriend. She occupies her nights with yoga, curling (in the winter), line-dancing, and date nights. Every weekend during the winter months she travels on Friday afternoon to our cottage north of Barrie and returns to the city on Sunday afternoons. I call home almost on daily basis, at least 5 times a week, and it's a 50/50 chance I'll catch my mum at home. She is literally on the go all the time. When I lived at home with my mum I woke up to lists of chores that needed to be done and I did them with no arguments because it takes a lot of work to look after our home. Living at home I'd usually have the house to myself 4-5 nights a week because my mum is always in and out the door. It wasn't surprising when I'd come home at around 9pm to find my mum crashed on the couch and I'd gently wake her up and guide her upstairs to her bed.
My mum has been on this vigorous schedule since a few years after my dad passed away. She has told me time and time again she would rather be too busy than not have enough to do. It started out as a distraction from everything she lost when my dad passed away and now she thrives on having things to do. I worry about her sometimes, that she is too busy and too stressed out but she rarely complains and when she does I just listen quietly because I know she needs an outlet. So that is a snapshot of my mum.
The current mum I live with, my boyfriends mother, is quite a different mum. I'll call her Mrs. Mom to make it easier to read and type instead of referring to her as my boyfriends mum. As I mentioned before she is about as opposite from my mum as can be. Whereas my mum is out 4-5 nights a week, Mrs. Mom goes out about once a month. She will meet her girlfriends for dinner at the local pub for a couple of hours and then return home. She is a retired daycare provider. Mrs. Mom opened and ran a daycare with a friend of hers for twenty some odd years and retired only a few years ago. She raised 4 children in their current home up until the ages of around 18 and you would never know it from the state of her home. It is spotless. Spotless to the point where it almost lacks a certain kind of homey-ness. Anyway back to the point, Mrs. Mom does not go out. She does her errands (grocery shopping, dry-cleaning, etc.) during the morning and is home by noon or 1:00pm the latest. After that she does not go out. She keeps herself busy by cleaning. She does my laundry, my bf's laundry, vacuums, cooks dinner every night, takes out the garbage, washes the floors, cleans the bathrooms, dusts...basically she does everything! When I first moved in I offered countless times to do my laundry, to do the dishes, to cook, to help out in any way I could and I was turned down each time. Her reasoning for doing my laundry was that she was doing hers and my bf's anyway so she might as well put my clothes in the washer and dryer too. I found that a very hard thing to accept because I like to feel useful, I like feeling like I am contributing. I started doing my own laundry when I was 12 and like I said, I am used to waking up and finding lists of chores to do. I manage to empty the dishwasher and that's the only chore I am permitted to do.
I found this incredibly hard to deal with but my bf put it into perspective. Mrs. Mom is retired so her house is her job now. She makes her day full by cleaning things and doing chores. She also has a bad hip, which she is getting replaced during a surgery in May, that prevents her from going out more often because walking is painful for her. These are the things I remind myself when I find myself suffocating under her mom-ness. She is incredibly sweet and incredibly caring. She goes out of her way to buy groceries that she knows we like. She caters to the fact that I don't eat red meat and cooks a lot of meals with chicken or fish as an alternative.
But as of yesterday bf and I have the house to ourselves for 6 days because Mrs. Mom has flown to England to spend time with one of her daughters and her granddaughter. So for the next 6 days the bf and I are enjoying a bit of freedom that we haven't had since January. We have not been alone in the house since January...it's incredible when you think about it like that. But that is the reality of this house and Mrs. Mom. She has been kind enough to let me live with her, to feed me, to clean up after me even though I protest this and have to be sneaky in order to contribute. She doesn't charge us rent or take any kind of monetary contributions for food or bills. So I buy her flowers every few weeks and desserts when we have big dinners. I fill up her car with gas whenever I get a chance and carry the laundry upstairs because it hurts her to walk up the stairs with the basket, even though she'd never complain. I don't want to take chores away from her because these are the things she does to keep busy and keep herself fulfilled. So I sit back and try my best to help where I can without overstepping boundaries.
It's been an interesting seven months to say the least, and I'm so lucky to have two mums who care about me. However I am going to thoroughly enjoy these six days of freedom.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
It's Been Awhile
Well due to laziness, lack of motivation and a busy schedule I haven't posted for awhile. And once again my sister gives me the encouragement I needed to get over here and write up a post. I also started another blog for my girlfriend who is living overseas, for us to communicate easily, and I wouldn't be happy if I left this blog unattended while putting up posts on the other private blog. It would feel like I was paying more attention to one aspect of my life and not the others. So here I am ready to blog.
But what to blog about? Well there have been quite a few changes in my life since my last post and I guess I'll write about those.
Change #1: I got into teacher's college! After waiting an agonizing four months I was informed that Ottawa U accepted me into their program. I had applied to both Ottawa U and York U in hopes of getting into both schools. In the beginning I wanted to just get into one school so that the choice would be an easy one to make. However, after being rejected by York U I realized that I really did want the option of both schools so that the possibility of moving back home could become a reality. In the end my choice was easy, I got into one school so that's where I'll be attending teacher's college in September 2008. Atlhough I was really excited about the idea of going back to Toronto to be closer to my family and my friends. Now I am just trying to adjust to the realization that I will be going back to school after being off for two years. Me...back in university. I am excited but apprehensive at the same time. However this realization of living in Ottawa for another year or so prompted the next change...
Change #2: My bf and I bought a condo! That's definitely the biggest change and and also the situation that has consumed my life since the beginning of April. Once I found out I got into Ottawa U my bf and I began looking at our housing options. We began to discuss the pros and cons of renting versus owning. After quite a few lengthy talks we decided, if we could afford it, we'd like to buy. If rent and a mortgage payment were going to be comparable, it'd be a better idea to invest our money into something we could sell later as opposed to just giving our money to a landlord every month with no hopes of monetary return. So we began our hunt with the idea of living downtown so I could be close to the campus. After checking out a few places and looking at the listing prices for condominiums downtown we quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. Too expensive and too small; such is the way with downtown properties for the most part. So we started the hunt again this time in the east end of Ottawa. We went out with our real estate agent a few times and after looking at townhomes, row houses, and apartment style condominiums we found one that is perfect for us. A two bedroom condominium - apartment style. It faces a forest and right behind the forest is the Ottawa River. We are surrounded by walking/running/biking trails, wildlife and the river. We are in four storey walk up that makes the whole thing feel more homey as opposed to a gaping 15 storey apartment building. We made our offer to the current occupant and after a few bartering sessions got the price we wanted. It was definitely a learning process. The whole house buying process had some ups and downs in terms of the bf and I discussing our budgets, our preferences and our ideal situations but in the end we talked everything through and realized we could definitely do this. Going through a major decision like home-buying really teaches you a lot about your relationship. So now we've got everything in order and are waiting to move in on June 30th! While we wait, we also shop :) We are being very careful though, I made some lists (yes I am a list maker) of things we have and things we need. Of the things we need we then ranked them in terms of importance. We're pretty lucky and we'll be using a lot of old furniture for the most part which is a-ok with me. I don't need brand new everything...I like the history and memories that come with older furniture. When our budget can allow for furniture spending then we'll tackle buying new things.
Change #3: My best friend moved half way around the world to Dubai. As mentioned above, my best friend, Jacks, got a job working for Emirates Air after being with Air Canada Jazz for three years. She left in March and is on a three year contract. Three years is a long time. But this is nothing we can't handle. The phone calls are less frequent as are the text messages (I can only receive hers and cannot respond for some reason). We have called and missed each other, called and been able to talk for two minutes, and called and been able to chat for extended periods of time. I've already had a few moments of sadness. Times where I am so frustrated about something (big or insignifcant) and all I want to do is call Jacks to talk things over - but I can't because it's 3am in Dubai or something along those lines. No phone card, not near a phone, at work etc etc. I have cried at my desk at work because I miss her and just want to talk to her. I have told my bf everyday how much I miss her. These reasons prompted me to start a private blog for the two of us so that when I need to vent and cannot get ahold of her, I have an outlet. But even though I know I'll be okay and she'll be okay and the months will start flying by, I still miss her on a daily basis. Once someone is removed from your daily life and speaking to them becomes more difficult it really gives your perspective on what they mean to you. And Jacks means more to me than any other friend. She has been around since the beginning and will be around until the end. And in the meantime she is living a three-year stint in Dubai, travelling the world as a flight attendant and getting emails and phone calls from her bestfriend living in Canada. Even though I selfishly miss her, I am so happy for her and so excited to hear about all the exotic places she will visit...Delhi is her first flight this weekend.
And so those are the updates for now...lots of changes...lots of emotions...I am doing my best not to worry or overthink on any of it. Mostly I am excited for the changes, moving out, going back to school, starting a new path. And I'll just keep plugging away until the time comes to get moving on something. I can already think of another new post but seeing as I'm at work, that will have to wait.
But what to blog about? Well there have been quite a few changes in my life since my last post and I guess I'll write about those.
Change #1: I got into teacher's college! After waiting an agonizing four months I was informed that Ottawa U accepted me into their program. I had applied to both Ottawa U and York U in hopes of getting into both schools. In the beginning I wanted to just get into one school so that the choice would be an easy one to make. However, after being rejected by York U I realized that I really did want the option of both schools so that the possibility of moving back home could become a reality. In the end my choice was easy, I got into one school so that's where I'll be attending teacher's college in September 2008. Atlhough I was really excited about the idea of going back to Toronto to be closer to my family and my friends. Now I am just trying to adjust to the realization that I will be going back to school after being off for two years. Me...back in university. I am excited but apprehensive at the same time. However this realization of living in Ottawa for another year or so prompted the next change...
Change #2: My bf and I bought a condo! That's definitely the biggest change and and also the situation that has consumed my life since the beginning of April. Once I found out I got into Ottawa U my bf and I began looking at our housing options. We began to discuss the pros and cons of renting versus owning. After quite a few lengthy talks we decided, if we could afford it, we'd like to buy. If rent and a mortgage payment were going to be comparable, it'd be a better idea to invest our money into something we could sell later as opposed to just giving our money to a landlord every month with no hopes of monetary return. So we began our hunt with the idea of living downtown so I could be close to the campus. After checking out a few places and looking at the listing prices for condominiums downtown we quickly realized that wasn't going to happen. Too expensive and too small; such is the way with downtown properties for the most part. So we started the hunt again this time in the east end of Ottawa. We went out with our real estate agent a few times and after looking at townhomes, row houses, and apartment style condominiums we found one that is perfect for us. A two bedroom condominium - apartment style. It faces a forest and right behind the forest is the Ottawa River. We are surrounded by walking/running/biking trails, wildlife and the river. We are in four storey walk up that makes the whole thing feel more homey as opposed to a gaping 15 storey apartment building. We made our offer to the current occupant and after a few bartering sessions got the price we wanted. It was definitely a learning process. The whole house buying process had some ups and downs in terms of the bf and I discussing our budgets, our preferences and our ideal situations but in the end we talked everything through and realized we could definitely do this. Going through a major decision like home-buying really teaches you a lot about your relationship. So now we've got everything in order and are waiting to move in on June 30th! While we wait, we also shop :) We are being very careful though, I made some lists (yes I am a list maker) of things we have and things we need. Of the things we need we then ranked them in terms of importance. We're pretty lucky and we'll be using a lot of old furniture for the most part which is a-ok with me. I don't need brand new everything...I like the history and memories that come with older furniture. When our budget can allow for furniture spending then we'll tackle buying new things.
Change #3: My best friend moved half way around the world to Dubai. As mentioned above, my best friend, Jacks, got a job working for Emirates Air after being with Air Canada Jazz for three years. She left in March and is on a three year contract. Three years is a long time. But this is nothing we can't handle. The phone calls are less frequent as are the text messages (I can only receive hers and cannot respond for some reason). We have called and missed each other, called and been able to talk for two minutes, and called and been able to chat for extended periods of time. I've already had a few moments of sadness. Times where I am so frustrated about something (big or insignifcant) and all I want to do is call Jacks to talk things over - but I can't because it's 3am in Dubai or something along those lines. No phone card, not near a phone, at work etc etc. I have cried at my desk at work because I miss her and just want to talk to her. I have told my bf everyday how much I miss her. These reasons prompted me to start a private blog for the two of us so that when I need to vent and cannot get ahold of her, I have an outlet. But even though I know I'll be okay and she'll be okay and the months will start flying by, I still miss her on a daily basis. Once someone is removed from your daily life and speaking to them becomes more difficult it really gives your perspective on what they mean to you. And Jacks means more to me than any other friend. She has been around since the beginning and will be around until the end. And in the meantime she is living a three-year stint in Dubai, travelling the world as a flight attendant and getting emails and phone calls from her bestfriend living in Canada. Even though I selfishly miss her, I am so happy for her and so excited to hear about all the exotic places she will visit...Delhi is her first flight this weekend.
And so those are the updates for now...lots of changes...lots of emotions...I am doing my best not to worry or overthink on any of it. Mostly I am excited for the changes, moving out, going back to school, starting a new path. And I'll just keep plugging away until the time comes to get moving on something. I can already think of another new post but seeing as I'm at work, that will have to wait.
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Kindness of Strangers
This blog is a few days past due but in any event, here it is. I titled this blog "The Kindness of Strangers" because I encounter this phrase generally on a daily basis, some acts of kindness greater than others but all noted and appreciated. A simple act such as a stranger holding open a door; a woman offering to pay for my Tim Hortons because I somehow forgot they don't take debit; the bus driver who slows down to wait for me as I sprint toward him.
On Friday I encountered the kindness of a stranger on a whole new level. I am applying to teacher's college and was invited by York University to be interviewed for a spot in their faculty. The way York went about this was to send me a letter requesting an interview and then giving me 5 days to choose from for the following week. Seeing as I haven't informed my boss of my teacher's college applications, I opted for a Saturday interview at 9:30am so that I wouldn't have to explain taking a day off during the week or come up with a lame excuse. There I was, Friday night, arriving at the Ottawa bus terminal one hour earlier than my bus was scheduled to leave. I thought I was being smart, arriving early to secure a spot, because it was the beginning of Family Day weekend. What I didn't realize was that it was also the beginning of Ottawa U and Carleton U's reading weeks which explained the hundreds of people at the bus station. Literally, hundreds. There were two lines snaking this way and that throughout the terminal, one for Montreal and one for Toronto and it took me about ten minutes to find the end of the Toronto line.
In front of me stood a girl, who looked like she was in her early twenties and possibly a student. We started chatting idly about the amount of people in line, about line up etiquette, about school and our jobs, anything to pass the time really and keep us focused on the fact that we were at the end of a very very long line up. After about an hour and a half of waiting in the line for Toronto (and not moving whatsoever for no buses had come in that 1.5 hours), I decided to go to the front of the line and ask someone how long they'd been waiting for. A young guy at the front of the line informed me he had been waiting over six hours...he had been trying to get on a 2pm bus scheduled to leave for Toronto. I returned to my spot at the back of the snaking line and calmly told my line up friend the bad news. I weighed various options in my head such as "I could cab it to the train station and see if I could catch a train", "I could cab it to the airport and see if I could get on a last minute flight to Toronto", "I could ask my boyfriend's mum to borrow her car for the night"...and so on and so forth because I knew I wasn't getting home by the Greyhound that night. I tried not to think of the fact that I might not be able to make it home for my interview and therefore have my application from York be rejected for failing to show up.
My line up friend got on her cell phone and after hanging up, turned around and said "I just spoke to my mum, I'm going to go home, get in my car and drive to Toronto instead...would you like a ride?" And just like that, I encountered one of the nicest acts of kindness ever. My line up friend Tonya saved my butt that night.
I paid for a cab ride back to her house, we hopped into her car and proceeded to enjoy a four hour drive to Scarborough Town Centre (where she dropped me off), chatting the entire way. I made it home that night (pretty late but home...and that was the most important thing) and to my interview the next morning and I can honestly say it was all thanks to my line up friend and her kindness.
Thanks to all the strangers out there whose little acts of kindness really make a difference. Now it's my turn to give back and I'm taking advantage of any opportunity that comes my way.
On Friday I encountered the kindness of a stranger on a whole new level. I am applying to teacher's college and was invited by York University to be interviewed for a spot in their faculty. The way York went about this was to send me a letter requesting an interview and then giving me 5 days to choose from for the following week. Seeing as I haven't informed my boss of my teacher's college applications, I opted for a Saturday interview at 9:30am so that I wouldn't have to explain taking a day off during the week or come up with a lame excuse. There I was, Friday night, arriving at the Ottawa bus terminal one hour earlier than my bus was scheduled to leave. I thought I was being smart, arriving early to secure a spot, because it was the beginning of Family Day weekend. What I didn't realize was that it was also the beginning of Ottawa U and Carleton U's reading weeks which explained the hundreds of people at the bus station. Literally, hundreds. There were two lines snaking this way and that throughout the terminal, one for Montreal and one for Toronto and it took me about ten minutes to find the end of the Toronto line.
In front of me stood a girl, who looked like she was in her early twenties and possibly a student. We started chatting idly about the amount of people in line, about line up etiquette, about school and our jobs, anything to pass the time really and keep us focused on the fact that we were at the end of a very very long line up. After about an hour and a half of waiting in the line for Toronto (and not moving whatsoever for no buses had come in that 1.5 hours), I decided to go to the front of the line and ask someone how long they'd been waiting for. A young guy at the front of the line informed me he had been waiting over six hours...he had been trying to get on a 2pm bus scheduled to leave for Toronto. I returned to my spot at the back of the snaking line and calmly told my line up friend the bad news. I weighed various options in my head such as "I could cab it to the train station and see if I could catch a train", "I could cab it to the airport and see if I could get on a last minute flight to Toronto", "I could ask my boyfriend's mum to borrow her car for the night"...and so on and so forth because I knew I wasn't getting home by the Greyhound that night. I tried not to think of the fact that I might not be able to make it home for my interview and therefore have my application from York be rejected for failing to show up.
My line up friend got on her cell phone and after hanging up, turned around and said "I just spoke to my mum, I'm going to go home, get in my car and drive to Toronto instead...would you like a ride?" And just like that, I encountered one of the nicest acts of kindness ever. My line up friend Tonya saved my butt that night.
I paid for a cab ride back to her house, we hopped into her car and proceeded to enjoy a four hour drive to Scarborough Town Centre (where she dropped me off), chatting the entire way. I made it home that night (pretty late but home...and that was the most important thing) and to my interview the next morning and I can honestly say it was all thanks to my line up friend and her kindness.
Thanks to all the strangers out there whose little acts of kindness really make a difference. Now it's my turn to give back and I'm taking advantage of any opportunity that comes my way.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A Difference in Generations
In my attempt to find other blogs that I could relate to, I searched "mid-twenties" because I had labelled myself as a mid-twenties gal and figured others would put themselves into that category as well. After ignoring most and skimming some I realized that the mid-twenties of my generation in general, share one major thing in common...we are all trying to figure out what to do with our lives.
The majority of us have gone through some sort of post-secondary education be it college or university and have realized that for the most part, those experiences do nothing to point you in the direction of your future career. I learned valuable non academic things by attending university such as:
-Six day benders can be fun and hilarious given the right week and the right alcoholic beverage choices (let's not tell my mum that one)
-I do like red wine
-I never want to live with someone who has an eating disorder again
-Cooking isn't that hard and doing it with friends is the best way to do it
-I enjoy a good long walk
-Missing out on daylight due to a 5:00am bedtime and 4:30pm wake up is not enjoyable
-Drunk pool hopping is a great memory
-Never own a hamster while living in university amongst friends who enjoy drinking, poor shaved Hammie
-The friends you make and memories you make with them, if you're lucky, will last you a lifetime
I also learned a lot of academic things but for the most part, I feel my non-academic lessons (those above to name a few) were more valuable. I can write a paper, a short answer, an essay, do multiple choice, read a book, do research and debate but again...these skills have not led me to a specific career. I count myself lucky to be working in my field (Geographic Information Systems) at the moment because no one else I know has a job in their graduating field. However working in front of a computer all day has taught me something...I do NOT want to sit in front of a computer for the rest of my life. My eyes hurt, my shoulders ache, my wrists cramp up and I'm inside under flourescent lights. I can just feel the Vitamin D oozing out of me as I waste away in my cubicle, my 15 minute walk outdoors to the bus terminal after work being my favourite part of the day.
So these led me to think about the difference in generations. Why does my generation find it so hard to settle into the 9-5 or the cubicle or the daily grind? We ship ourselves off to Korea (for me), Australia (for my boyfriend), Europe, Asia or anywhere else that gives us a little more time to figure things out and experience something new all the while escaping the everyday real world. Is this because we have too many options these days? I mean women used to be a) teacher, b) secretary, c) nurse, d) mom. Now we can be anything we want but is that too overwhelming? Most people in my generation change careers three times before settling into one for good. Not to mention the general loathe for working my generation appears to have; if I could get $1.00 for every time I've heard my friends talk about winning the lottery and never working again I'd be richer than if they had actually won. It reminds me of Peter from Office Space being asked if he had a million dollars what would he do. And his answer was "nothing". He'd do nothing. Personally I'd love to travel and start a job in something I'm passionate about, not something that will deliver a big enough paycheck for me to stop worrying. So what's the deal with me and my generation? Why aren't we content working? I know I'm not exactly content with my job although I stick it out everyday. Is that what previous generations haven't told us, they they just stuck it out even though they hated their jobs? Maybe university taught us too much and now we feel we should have paychecks flung at us for little to no work. Who knows, all I know is me and my mid-twenties friends are a different generation that's for sure.
The majority of us have gone through some sort of post-secondary education be it college or university and have realized that for the most part, those experiences do nothing to point you in the direction of your future career. I learned valuable non academic things by attending university such as:
-Six day benders can be fun and hilarious given the right week and the right alcoholic beverage choices (let's not tell my mum that one)
-I do like red wine
-I never want to live with someone who has an eating disorder again
-Cooking isn't that hard and doing it with friends is the best way to do it
-I enjoy a good long walk
-Missing out on daylight due to a 5:00am bedtime and 4:30pm wake up is not enjoyable
-Drunk pool hopping is a great memory
-Never own a hamster while living in university amongst friends who enjoy drinking, poor shaved Hammie
-The friends you make and memories you make with them, if you're lucky, will last you a lifetime
I also learned a lot of academic things but for the most part, I feel my non-academic lessons (those above to name a few) were more valuable. I can write a paper, a short answer, an essay, do multiple choice, read a book, do research and debate but again...these skills have not led me to a specific career. I count myself lucky to be working in my field (Geographic Information Systems) at the moment because no one else I know has a job in their graduating field. However working in front of a computer all day has taught me something...I do NOT want to sit in front of a computer for the rest of my life. My eyes hurt, my shoulders ache, my wrists cramp up and I'm inside under flourescent lights. I can just feel the Vitamin D oozing out of me as I waste away in my cubicle, my 15 minute walk outdoors to the bus terminal after work being my favourite part of the day.
So these led me to think about the difference in generations. Why does my generation find it so hard to settle into the 9-5 or the cubicle or the daily grind? We ship ourselves off to Korea (for me), Australia (for my boyfriend), Europe, Asia or anywhere else that gives us a little more time to figure things out and experience something new all the while escaping the everyday real world. Is this because we have too many options these days? I mean women used to be a) teacher, b) secretary, c) nurse, d) mom. Now we can be anything we want but is that too overwhelming? Most people in my generation change careers three times before settling into one for good. Not to mention the general loathe for working my generation appears to have; if I could get $1.00 for every time I've heard my friends talk about winning the lottery and never working again I'd be richer than if they had actually won. It reminds me of Peter from Office Space being asked if he had a million dollars what would he do. And his answer was "nothing". He'd do nothing. Personally I'd love to travel and start a job in something I'm passionate about, not something that will deliver a big enough paycheck for me to stop worrying. So what's the deal with me and my generation? Why aren't we content working? I know I'm not exactly content with my job although I stick it out everyday. Is that what previous generations haven't told us, they they just stuck it out even though they hated their jobs? Maybe university taught us too much and now we feel we should have paychecks flung at us for little to no work. Who knows, all I know is me and my mid-twenties friends are a different generation that's for sure.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Partial Return
Well my faith in humanity has be reaffirmed...sort of. After anxiously waiting for three hours this morning I called the Lost and Found of the OC Transpo and asked an incredibly nice woman, if my lost bag had been found. Here is the affirmation part, my bag WAS returned and sitting at the Lost and Found. As I described the contents my heart was racing, would it all be there?.
There was a pair of black high heels, are they in the bag? "Yes"
There should be a little gold bag with make up in it, is that there? "Yes, I see the gold bag"
There was also a white plastic bag with three wrapped presents in Valentine's Day paper, are they there? "Hmmm...no I don't see anything in your bag, let me check around....no, no I'm sorry, the presents are gone it seems".
As so, my partial faith in humanity remains. Someone was indeed nice enough to return my shoulder bag with my black shoes and make up in tact. However I guess the sight of three gift wrapped presents was too much to resist. So my mission tonight is as follows: leave work, retrieve my lost and now found bag, go to the gym to work out the stress of this ordeal, return to the mall to re-buy each present, wrap them again, and give my boyfriend his Valentine's Day presents.
I guess it was too much to wish that everything would be there. Thank you to whoever turned in my bag...I hope you enjoy the presents intended for my boyfriend.
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