What is true love? Does it ever really exist between two people? I have heard about the bursting, unconditional love new parents feel for their new born child. However, this is not the type of love I have been thinking about lately, because I do not doubt the feelings family members have for each other. My question revolves around the issue of marriage and love for a significant other. Up until recently, I believed in true love, and waiting until you found your perfect match. I thought that broken marriages occur because the couple was not right for each other. Now I am doubting my beliefs a little...
I don't know if this slightly cynical attitude is just me growing up, and realizing that life is not a fairytale? Perhaps it has to do with the Christian Theology course on marriage and human sexuality that I took this term. The Catholic Church really drives home the fact that romantic love will always break down between two people eventually, and that couples have to make the choice to stay with each other and remain faithful. These choices must be made before the marriage even occurs, so once the difficult times come, there is no other option than to commit to make it through them together.
Don't get me wrong, I always knew that any relationship, especially marriage, took work, but I had always thought that it should add more happiness to a person's life than it did take away from a life. So many of my peers seem unhappy in their marriages or long term relationships. I had always thought this was due to the fact that many people seem to "settle" for someone, so they don't have to be alone. I have always prided myself on my independant nature, and the fact that I would rather be single than settle for someone I have mediocore feelings for. Now I wonder if that is just a dream, perpetuated from childhood, where little girls dream of finding their "prince charming" and marrying them at a fairytale inspired wedding. Maybe that is why our divorce rate is so high these days. People are expecting to find true love and the perfect relationship, and when the glow wears off after marriage, and they see it is not what they dreamed, it is easy to get a divorce to keep looking for the "perfect" love. Is society's obession with weddings and love leading to the end of relationships, instead of making people happier? Perhaps our parents and grandparents had it right; they married their partner quite young and often after only short courtships, and their duty in life was to make it work with them. I definitely think the couples making it to silver and golden wedding anniversaries are going to decline dramatically over the next generation. But is it better now that people feel they don't have to settle in an unhappy marriage for the next fifty years, because divorce and remarriage are now readily accepted? Many people would argue that this is better because people are not repressing their unhappy feelings anymore, and feel they deserve to find true love. But have things gone too far? The divorce rate is just under 50%, and most couples who do divorce, make it to ten years or less in marriage. I feel it would be nice to see couples fight harder for their relationships, instead of using divorce as a solution.
This discussion brings me back to my initial question. Does true love exist? Or is it our job to pick someone we are compatible with and make it work no matter how hard it seems? I always thought two people in love shouldn't have to try so hard to make it work...
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Blane
If you would have talked to me about six years ago about children, I would have laughed and said "who needs those?" In my younger years, I was definitely not a "kid" person, never babysitting or taking much interest in babies or little ones. Boy, do things change! At 26 years old, I have discovered my maternal instinct. Lookout now! Perhaps it was preciptated by the birth of my nephew, Blane, just about 2 1/2 years ago. I think I fell in love with him the moment my brother brought him out of the birthing suite to show him off to us. That love has only grown stronger throughout the last couple years. He is not even my child, but I would do anything for him. When he comes over to our house, we have "dance parties" (the boy just loves to dance), we hide from Dad under the covers in bed, and other fun activities. When Blane goes home and his mom shows him pictures of the family, he always giggles when he sees my picture. Hilarious, that he can associate my face with all the fun we have when he comes over. The other day he was playing in my sister's room, which is very girly, and artsy fartsy. The perfect playground for a two year old! He stared at every piece of decorating she had, gazed at her scads of jewellery, and even put on beads and necklaces. The jewellery and glittery make-up he put on his arm made quite a sight for him in the mirror. He could not stop looking at himself as he cooed "pretty". We all had a good laugh at the innocence of little children before they learn what is socially acceptable behavior for their gender. I can't wait to give him his purple Carebear, with pink hair ties for Christmas!! Ha ha. It will go well with his "mighty machines", diggers and dump trucks!
I definitely see the whole, other dimension children bring to a person's life. I find it truly amazing, how even one little kid can consume your thoughts, emotions, and life. I can only imagine what having two or three is like. I understand now how people can lose their personal identity to their children, as many housewives identities are wrapped up in their role as mothers. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just that now I undestand how it can happen. I so look forward to seeing Blane, as spending time with him takes me back to such a simple time of my life, where I can act like a child, and forget about the everyday stresses and just be "Auntie Shannon". These new experiences has gotten me to appreciate children, their innocence and what they bring to our lives. I look forward to the day when I may have my own.
I definitely see the whole, other dimension children bring to a person's life. I find it truly amazing, how even one little kid can consume your thoughts, emotions, and life. I can only imagine what having two or three is like. I understand now how people can lose their personal identity to their children, as many housewives identities are wrapped up in their role as mothers. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just that now I undestand how it can happen. I so look forward to seeing Blane, as spending time with him takes me back to such a simple time of my life, where I can act like a child, and forget about the everyday stresses and just be "Auntie Shannon". These new experiences has gotten me to appreciate children, their innocence and what they bring to our lives. I look forward to the day when I may have my own.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Stephen King Rules!!
Wow!! I went to see Stephen King's "The Mist" on Saturday night. What a movie! And not in the regular, formulaic horror movie sense of the word. King does horror like no one else. Although "The Mist" was suspenseful and slightly gruesome at times, the main point of the storyline said something far more important about humanity. Perhaps that it is why the fourteen year olds walked out of the movie saying it "sucked." They just didn't get it! I don't want to ruin the ending or most of the storyline for people who haven't seen the movie yet, but it really makes a point about humans and science. When is enough going to be enough for us? What has to happen to humanity before scientists will pull back on the limits they are pushing? Probably not until it is too late, is King's analysis.
The movie got my sister and I talking about this subject on a larger scale. She told me that one of her clients told her they are cloning racehorses and show horses already! Omigod! The motivation is purely money! Why pay half a million dollars or more for a horse with good parents, because the good genes may or may not be passed down. Instead, let's just clone the prize winning horses because we already know they will be successful! Sick, sick! We may as well just start cloning the smartest, most athletic people in the world to eradicate the ills of society, such as poverty and homelessness. What is our existence coming to? People who get their "rocks off" on playing God are going to be the downfall of this planet, one way or another! The ethics of policy makers are slowly being loosened, as every five or ten years, scientists do something they never would have dreamed about in the past. I can hardly wait to see what another ten years of science and decisions will bring!
The movie got my sister and I talking about this subject on a larger scale. She told me that one of her clients told her they are cloning racehorses and show horses already! Omigod! The motivation is purely money! Why pay half a million dollars or more for a horse with good parents, because the good genes may or may not be passed down. Instead, let's just clone the prize winning horses because we already know they will be successful! Sick, sick! We may as well just start cloning the smartest, most athletic people in the world to eradicate the ills of society, such as poverty and homelessness. What is our existence coming to? People who get their "rocks off" on playing God are going to be the downfall of this planet, one way or another! The ethics of policy makers are slowly being loosened, as every five or ten years, scientists do something they never would have dreamed about in the past. I can hardly wait to see what another ten years of science and decisions will bring!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Tanorexia
I think I have tanorexia. Could there even be such a word? I don't know. All I know is that I quite enjoy going to the tanning beds when I cannot get natural sunlight. I just got back from a tanning session tonight, and I sat down to think about how it makes me feel. Why I would actually take the time and money to leave my house and drive to the tanning salon. Simply put, it makes me feel good about myself. I like the look of tanned skin, and I feel more energized after the vitamin D and UV exposure.
The appeal of tanned skin is an interesting question in itself. Tanning is such a societal construction of beauty. In the victorian times, white skin was seen as beautiful because it meant that you were wealthy and didn't have to work in the sun. But this seems more about status than actual beauty. In a world where social status is not blatantly obvious, tanned skin is seen more beautiful on anyone than really white skin. I think it is because we associate the sun with being healthy, and being outdoors and active. Someone who has a healthy looking glow looks like they spend time outdoors playing sports or doing yard work.
All I know is that after a week of not tanning, I start to feel the itch that I had better go and get some "sun".
The appeal of tanned skin is an interesting question in itself. Tanning is such a societal construction of beauty. In the victorian times, white skin was seen as beautiful because it meant that you were wealthy and didn't have to work in the sun. But this seems more about status than actual beauty. In a world where social status is not blatantly obvious, tanned skin is seen more beautiful on anyone than really white skin. I think it is because we associate the sun with being healthy, and being outdoors and active. Someone who has a healthy looking glow looks like they spend time outdoors playing sports or doing yard work.
All I know is that after a week of not tanning, I start to feel the itch that I had better go and get some "sun".
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Alberta Pride
A small part of the pride I feel in being an Albertan has been taken away from me forever, as a result of the outside report done on the tar sands, published in the "Guardian". I knew the basic facts about Fort McMurray, such as it being extremely over run with workers, money, and problems of drug and alcohol abuse. I assumed that there must be some environmental effects of oil production, but they were never put into perspective for me. And that is exactly what the Alberta government wants! I think most people would be horrified to find out the facts of tar sand production, and perhaps there would be more support for environmental issues than there presently is.
One barrel of natural gas and water is needed to produce one barrel of crude oil??? Are people nuts?? Countries like Australia are in a constant state of drought and water conservation, and we use enough water in one day to service a city of a million people? Do people not realize that water is a non-renewable resource? The fact that the water ponds holding the tainted water can be seen from space is crazy!! People should think about the day there is no water to irrigate crops, or there is no viable water for drinking. The widespread panic and destructive effects on civilization will be devastating! Do people really think it cannot happen? The human race is good at "sticking their head in the sand" and pretending that everything will work out for the best. Perhaps it is the realization that many of these users will be dead before the effects are felt by humanity, but they should feel for their children, who may be the victims of famine, drought, and other little nasties.
Sometimes I wonder why the large environmental organizations such as Green Peace, do not take more active measures to fix the problem. I guess they do not want to suffer the major effects of actions that the majority of society do not support anyways. Also, the possibility of human casualities and injuries is not attractive either, as these tar sand productions go around the clock. Green Peace staged a little protest on the high level bridge Monday afternoon. They rappelled off the bridge and hung a banner, supporting the shut down of the oil sands to meet Kyoto requirements. I totally understood their issues, as a result of just reading the "Guardian" article for class. I think the benefit that they had on the general public was nil, because they did not explain the issues at all. Most Albertans hear the statement "shut the tar sands down" and they laugh and say "yea right". That is why an article such as the one done in the UK is needed here. Albertans may not be so quickly to laugh when they are confronted with concrete, accurate facts on the environmental and social effects of our oil boom. I know it was a sobering experience for me.
One barrel of natural gas and water is needed to produce one barrel of crude oil??? Are people nuts?? Countries like Australia are in a constant state of drought and water conservation, and we use enough water in one day to service a city of a million people? Do people not realize that water is a non-renewable resource? The fact that the water ponds holding the tainted water can be seen from space is crazy!! People should think about the day there is no water to irrigate crops, or there is no viable water for drinking. The widespread panic and destructive effects on civilization will be devastating! Do people really think it cannot happen? The human race is good at "sticking their head in the sand" and pretending that everything will work out for the best. Perhaps it is the realization that many of these users will be dead before the effects are felt by humanity, but they should feel for their children, who may be the victims of famine, drought, and other little nasties.
Sometimes I wonder why the large environmental organizations such as Green Peace, do not take more active measures to fix the problem. I guess they do not want to suffer the major effects of actions that the majority of society do not support anyways. Also, the possibility of human casualities and injuries is not attractive either, as these tar sand productions go around the clock. Green Peace staged a little protest on the high level bridge Monday afternoon. They rappelled off the bridge and hung a banner, supporting the shut down of the oil sands to meet Kyoto requirements. I totally understood their issues, as a result of just reading the "Guardian" article for class. I think the benefit that they had on the general public was nil, because they did not explain the issues at all. Most Albertans hear the statement "shut the tar sands down" and they laugh and say "yea right". That is why an article such as the one done in the UK is needed here. Albertans may not be so quickly to laugh when they are confronted with concrete, accurate facts on the environmental and social effects of our oil boom. I know it was a sobering experience for me.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Ramblings of a Mature Student
These days, I find myself pondering the meaning of life and all that happens within the years of our living. Perhaps this is because I am older and more mature, and beginning to wonder where my life is going to take me. At 25 years of age, I am slightly older than many of my university comrades who have arrived just out of high school. I realize that I am by no means considered too "old" to be here, but some days I feel old! This could be because many of my peers are finished school, have jobs, houses, spouses...basically they have lives! I have school work and studying! I never pictured myself as a person who bends to social constructions or norms regarding the make-up of society, rather I fancied myself to have a fierce independant streak, breaking the rules wherever they may constrain me. Ha! These little tidbits that are ingrained in us from children are starting to chip away at my self-realization a tad bit. I am starting to feel a little worried that I am not close to marriage or even a seriously committed relationship. I feel self-conscious that I still live at home, even if it is a financially sound decision keeping me out of taking student loans. I look at my little nephew and feel the maternal stirrings of someone who wants to be a mother someday. I will be 26 years old in under two months and my identity is still fixed in the role of a student! I know I should be enjoying my youth, freedom, and little responsibility while I can, because once a husband and kids set in, I will probably be wishing for some of my old life back. But that is the dilemma of being young, isn't it? We want to grow up so fast and have everything perfect at once. Then when we get what we want, we either want more, or we wish back all the things we took for granted in the past. Perhaps if I could just see into the future and know my life is heading in the direction I want it to be, I could relax and enjoy what I have right now!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
My Last Midterm Rush
The process of university that begins for me each September is unique with each new class, but yet, is also strangely familiar. The first month is pretty relaxed as exam dates, assignments and course material are finalized. I will start reading my material to ease myself into the topic of each new class, and dream of the last day of the semester almost four months away. It's funny how the completion date of the courses seem so distant in that first month.
As October rolls around, the midterm rush is suddenly on! Exams come up quickly and assignments that did not seem due for ages, are quickly becoming a reality. I dread the cramming and sleep deprivation that comes with midterm week. I wish I was one of those people who could say "enough is enough" and put down their books and go to bed early before an exam. Instead, I stay up until the morning hours forcing as much information into my head as possible, feeling the pressure of the impending doom. It is not uncommon for me to get three hours of sleep a night until the hellish week is over. My incessant need to work under pressure, combined with the uneasiness of not knowing what to expect as each professor structures their exams and expectations in a different way, leaves me winded by the end of the week.
As much as I dread the hard work of preparing for midterms, Friday afternoon brought with it a sense of accomplishment, as I felt I did reasonably well on all of my exams. I savoured the feeling over the entire weekend of doing absolutely nothing related to school work. Alas, Monday morning cooled my post midterm 'glow', as it brought with it the hard realities of midterm scores and the ever closer due dates of term paper assignments.
The thought that this is my last real semester of university before my APT placement and graduation in the spring keeps me working on!
As October rolls around, the midterm rush is suddenly on! Exams come up quickly and assignments that did not seem due for ages, are quickly becoming a reality. I dread the cramming and sleep deprivation that comes with midterm week. I wish I was one of those people who could say "enough is enough" and put down their books and go to bed early before an exam. Instead, I stay up until the morning hours forcing as much information into my head as possible, feeling the pressure of the impending doom. It is not uncommon for me to get three hours of sleep a night until the hellish week is over. My incessant need to work under pressure, combined with the uneasiness of not knowing what to expect as each professor structures their exams and expectations in a different way, leaves me winded by the end of the week.
As much as I dread the hard work of preparing for midterms, Friday afternoon brought with it a sense of accomplishment, as I felt I did reasonably well on all of my exams. I savoured the feeling over the entire weekend of doing absolutely nothing related to school work. Alas, Monday morning cooled my post midterm 'glow', as it brought with it the hard realities of midterm scores and the ever closer due dates of term paper assignments.
The thought that this is my last real semester of university before my APT placement and graduation in the spring keeps me working on!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
What is Wrong with a Real Wedding??!!
People seem to have no respect anymore! What happened to the days when people used to spend months planning a beautiful wedding in the anticipation of spending this most special day with close friends and family?
The craze of the destination wedding has sank its teeth into today's unmarried couples and will not seem to let go! I admit that when this fad took hold a few years ago, the thought of getting married in a tropical location was kinda cool. The novelty of flying to Mexico to attend a wedding ceremony was exciting. Now, it seems like the whole world is jett setting off to a foreign country to say "I do."
I find the widespread fad of destination weddings to be sickening. It is a cheap way for the bride and groom to "get off easy." There is relatively little effort spent on planning the "big day" once the resort is picked because most offer all-inclusive wedding packages as part of the deal. How romantic! The bride and groom end up spending on their entire wedding the same amount as their guests need to in order to be there for the big day! They also have their honeymoon as a sort of two for one deal. What happened to the days when family's put on weddings complete with food and booze as a celebration for all loved ones to participate in? I often hear that money is the big issue. So, have a small wedding with only close family and friends. I still believe that it is the responsibility of the family to put on a wedding for people to attend, no matter how large the guest list is. Why should I pay the same amount as the bride and groom to attend their wedding?
Since the destination wedding has become so popular lately, many people have one,two or three invitations in one year. How is this realistic? These selfish brides and grooms expect people to take time off of work and spend their hard earned vacation time on their wedding. Not everyone wants to take their holidays in the likes of Mexico.
Compound the money, time, and travel issues with the fact that I cannot get time off from school for the wedding of a former good friend, and it means that I am a bad friend. How dare I not take the chance to skip part of and possibly fail my APT, while spending $2000 on a student's budget just to be in the Dominican Republic for my friend's wedding. Obviously it is not important enough to me to be there! Perhaps I should suggest this inference regarding absent wedding guests at destination weddings is true only of the bride and groom who make such an inconvience of their wedding!
The craze of the destination wedding has sank its teeth into today's unmarried couples and will not seem to let go! I admit that when this fad took hold a few years ago, the thought of getting married in a tropical location was kinda cool. The novelty of flying to Mexico to attend a wedding ceremony was exciting. Now, it seems like the whole world is jett setting off to a foreign country to say "I do."
I find the widespread fad of destination weddings to be sickening. It is a cheap way for the bride and groom to "get off easy." There is relatively little effort spent on planning the "big day" once the resort is picked because most offer all-inclusive wedding packages as part of the deal. How romantic! The bride and groom end up spending on their entire wedding the same amount as their guests need to in order to be there for the big day! They also have their honeymoon as a sort of two for one deal. What happened to the days when family's put on weddings complete with food and booze as a celebration for all loved ones to participate in? I often hear that money is the big issue. So, have a small wedding with only close family and friends. I still believe that it is the responsibility of the family to put on a wedding for people to attend, no matter how large the guest list is. Why should I pay the same amount as the bride and groom to attend their wedding?
Since the destination wedding has become so popular lately, many people have one,two or three invitations in one year. How is this realistic? These selfish brides and grooms expect people to take time off of work and spend their hard earned vacation time on their wedding. Not everyone wants to take their holidays in the likes of Mexico.
Compound the money, time, and travel issues with the fact that I cannot get time off from school for the wedding of a former good friend, and it means that I am a bad friend. How dare I not take the chance to skip part of and possibly fail my APT, while spending $2000 on a student's budget just to be in the Dominican Republic for my friend's wedding. Obviously it is not important enough to me to be there! Perhaps I should suggest this inference regarding absent wedding guests at destination weddings is true only of the bride and groom who make such an inconvience of their wedding!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
In-School Mentoring
I began volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters as an in school mentor last January. I initially began the program for purely selfish reasons. I knew that volunteering was a necessity on an education resume and I wanted to boost the chances of finding a job when I graduate this April.
Instead, spending one hour a week with my mentee has become an integral factor in my life. The relationship that can be built between mentor and mentee in just one hour a week is phenonmenal! I wouldn't have believed it if I'm not experiencing myself! After two months off during the summer, I was concerned she may have forgotten who I was or that our relationship might regress because of the lack of contact. Nope! She came tearing out of class on our first day back together and hugged me so hard she almost knocked me over! She had also rememebered I was going to Australia during my summer and asked me how it was. Pretty impressive for a nine year old!
My student was in grade three when I started with her last year and had arrived from Pakistan in December 2006. She could already speak english from school in her native country, but her teacher felt she could benefit from the mentoring program. Apparently she has already improved in her language skills and her self confidence in relating to others has also risen. We play games, read, play outside or in the gym, and draw/paint pictures. Today we are going to add baking cookies to our resume of achievements.
I would recommend this program to anyone who along with needing volunteer experience, wants to make a difference in a young person's life. The positive influence we can have on our youth through small actions is astounding and totally worth our effort!
Instead, spending one hour a week with my mentee has become an integral factor in my life. The relationship that can be built between mentor and mentee in just one hour a week is phenonmenal! I wouldn't have believed it if I'm not experiencing myself! After two months off during the summer, I was concerned she may have forgotten who I was or that our relationship might regress because of the lack of contact. Nope! She came tearing out of class on our first day back together and hugged me so hard she almost knocked me over! She had also rememebered I was going to Australia during my summer and asked me how it was. Pretty impressive for a nine year old!
My student was in grade three when I started with her last year and had arrived from Pakistan in December 2006. She could already speak english from school in her native country, but her teacher felt she could benefit from the mentoring program. Apparently she has already improved in her language skills and her self confidence in relating to others has also risen. We play games, read, play outside or in the gym, and draw/paint pictures. Today we are going to add baking cookies to our resume of achievements.
I would recommend this program to anyone who along with needing volunteer experience, wants to make a difference in a young person's life. The positive influence we can have on our youth through small actions is astounding and totally worth our effort!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Gift of Momentary Clarity
Aha! I think I've finally got it! The answers to all life's burning questions. Why am I here? What should I really do with my life?
The school year started off with a dull thud for me this year. I had just returned from an exciting trip to Australia and Fiji; the thought of another year of school seemed an impossible feat for me to accomplish. Couple these factors with some questions about the direction of my career path, and it made for a very stressed out student.
Today was a great day. I went to school and actually enjoyed my classes. I began my in-school mentoring program for the second semester, and it finally hit me... this is what I am meant to do with my life! The one hour spent with my "little sister" re-energized me like nothing else could. I felt more alive and happy than I have in weeks. I just love being in schools, and had forgotten this fact about myself over the summer months. The vibrancy of youth and the quest for learning really seem to excite my senses. I left the school this afternoon with a renewed vigor to finish off my last semester of regular university classes and head into my last practicum full speed ahead. I seem to have re-gained my usually unshakeable focus for the future from a single hour spent drawing, chatting, and reading with a little girl in grade four.
That is something special.
The school year started off with a dull thud for me this year. I had just returned from an exciting trip to Australia and Fiji; the thought of another year of school seemed an impossible feat for me to accomplish. Couple these factors with some questions about the direction of my career path, and it made for a very stressed out student.
Today was a great day. I went to school and actually enjoyed my classes. I began my in-school mentoring program for the second semester, and it finally hit me... this is what I am meant to do with my life! The one hour spent with my "little sister" re-energized me like nothing else could. I felt more alive and happy than I have in weeks. I just love being in schools, and had forgotten this fact about myself over the summer months. The vibrancy of youth and the quest for learning really seem to excite my senses. I left the school this afternoon with a renewed vigor to finish off my last semester of regular university classes and head into my last practicum full speed ahead. I seem to have re-gained my usually unshakeable focus for the future from a single hour spent drawing, chatting, and reading with a little girl in grade four.
That is something special.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
What Am I Doing Here?
I wasn't sure how I would feel about chronicling thoughts into this blog, but right now I am going to put a required task to good work. I feel so bitter right now in regards to school it is not even funny. Pretty pathetic, since this is the first full week of classes. Perhaps I would not feel so overwhelmed and dejected if I would just learn to leave well enough alone. I have eight months left of school until I receive my Education degree and can rejoin the land of the living, and what do I find myself doing? Applying to law school! Somebody smack some sense into me before it is too late...
A full course load in an overachiever's life is stressful enough. The action of adding on application processes and LSAT preparation might just drive me over the edge. I know this all sounds very melodramatic but tonight I feel so frustrated after LSAT preparation that I want to quit and take the easier road of finishing my degree and being done with it all. Something inside me will not let this happen and I wonder what that is? What drives some people so hard, while others take life as it comes and are happy with what they have accomplished already? I am usually proud of my work ethic, drive and attention to detail, but sometimes, like tonight, it is driving me crazy! Needless to say my two hours of very slow and tedious LSAT prep has now come to an end as my brain is a complete puddle of mush. Tomorrow is another day...yeaaah...
A full course load in an overachiever's life is stressful enough. The action of adding on application processes and LSAT preparation might just drive me over the edge. I know this all sounds very melodramatic but tonight I feel so frustrated after LSAT preparation that I want to quit and take the easier road of finishing my degree and being done with it all. Something inside me will not let this happen and I wonder what that is? What drives some people so hard, while others take life as it comes and are happy with what they have accomplished already? I am usually proud of my work ethic, drive and attention to detail, but sometimes, like tonight, it is driving me crazy! Needless to say my two hours of very slow and tedious LSAT prep has now come to an end as my brain is a complete puddle of mush. Tomorrow is another day...yeaaah...
Sunday, September 9, 2007
How A Summer Off from School Changed My Life
I knew from the date of last December that the summer of 2007 would be different from the stagnant drudgery of summer employment that fills most students summers. I just never dreamed how much it would change my life.
I finished spring session on June 15th 2007 and had four weeks of relaxation until my exciting trip to Australia began. On a whim, I had attended a meeting for the International Student Volunteers program at the U of A during the previous November. I had no real intention of participating in the program, but went to check it out since the presenting New Zealanders had given such a good presentation. In a few short weeks I found myself applying to the program, being accepted and spending a large amount of my hard earned cash to reserve myself a spot. The rest is history!
I left for Australia on July 26, 2007 to participate in a volunteer conservation/adventure tour. I met up with the rest of the adventurers in Los Angeles and quickly became friends with people from around North America that I would be spending day and night with for the next four weeks. A full 24 hours of travel from Edmonton, AB left me two hours away from Brisbane, Australia totally secluded in the mountains to begin my two weeks of volunteer work.
Australia is probably the largest conservationist country in the world, as their diverse lands contain 75% of the world's species. Everyone probably has seen or heard of Steve Irwin, 'The Crocodile Hunter' who has set the world image for the stereotypical Australian. I was surprised at how much his message has seemed to get through to Australians. The organization I was volunteering under is called Wild Mountains and their mission is to educate school children about conservation so they can learn about and pass on important environmental changing actions. As an interesting aside to the issue of Australian conservation, I found it surprising that all Australian toilets, public or private, have a full or half flush option to enable everyone to help conserve water. As the ultimate non-renewable resource, water is scarce in Australia because much of the country is in severe drought for most of the year. I found this to be a huge difference between Australia and Canada, as many Canadians waste water horribly, not even posing a thought to its scarcity in other parts of the world. My eyes were completely opened as I considered how terrible it would be to one day not have enough water to complete everyday tasks. The issue of water scarcity was driven home to me as we had to sleep in a shed with a limited water supply to have showers and wash dishes. The water we were expected to live on and not leave as a depleted supply came from the rain water reserves in a cistern. Once the supply was used up there would be none left for us to use in our daily tasks. It made me wonder what if that fear was on a global scale?
The two weeks of volunteering at Wild Mountains was intense and brought everyone back down to a grassroots level. We slept in sleeping bags on mattresses on the floor in a small loft. There was a wood stove to heat the shed and hot water for dishes or washing up. There was no television or radio as electricity was limited. We were responsible for preparing three meals a day in teams of three or four and cleaning up after everyone. Imagine the scenario: no dishwasher with dishes and pots for meals of around 15 people at every mealtime. The food was vegetarian and wholesome, as no junk food was to be found within miles. We ate together as a group, as no one was allowed to start until everyone had arrived from work. The work consisted of wood splitting, tree planting, weeding, painting, cleaning, and general construction labour. Whatever we could do to assist with getting the educational facility running by the end of August was our duty.
The entire two weeks consisted of basic living, work, and traditional values that have fallen by the wayside in our modern, urban lifestyle. A person might assume this type of experience might not be for the average 19-25 year olds from large, urban areas. Wrong! Every single student out of the nine on the volunteer work project said they loved the traditional values of sitting down for meals together, and playing cards or games in the evenings. The hectic sounds of the city were replaced by the cackling of the Kookaburras in the early morning and the deadlines of school and jobs were traded in for a shovel and a young tree needing to be planted in the hillside. Not one person was ready to go back to the hustle of their daily lives, as the step back in time to the wilderness of the mountains had positive effect on everyone.
As I resume the regular grindstone of my daily rountine, I will take with me many aspects of Wild Mountains. I will turn the faucets off when I am brushing my teeth or washing my face. I will turn all electricity off when it is not in immediate use. I will recycle more products and eliminate as much waste as possible because almost anything can be re-used. I will be aware that we share this planet with flora and fauna that have as much right to be here as we do. Most importantly, I will take the time to stop and appreciate the beauty of nature as the simplest of wonders go by un-noticed as people hustle through their lives. Thank you to the staff of Wild Mountains.
I finished spring session on June 15th 2007 and had four weeks of relaxation until my exciting trip to Australia began. On a whim, I had attended a meeting for the International Student Volunteers program at the U of A during the previous November. I had no real intention of participating in the program, but went to check it out since the presenting New Zealanders had given such a good presentation. In a few short weeks I found myself applying to the program, being accepted and spending a large amount of my hard earned cash to reserve myself a spot. The rest is history!
I left for Australia on July 26, 2007 to participate in a volunteer conservation/adventure tour. I met up with the rest of the adventurers in Los Angeles and quickly became friends with people from around North America that I would be spending day and night with for the next four weeks. A full 24 hours of travel from Edmonton, AB left me two hours away from Brisbane, Australia totally secluded in the mountains to begin my two weeks of volunteer work.
Australia is probably the largest conservationist country in the world, as their diverse lands contain 75% of the world's species. Everyone probably has seen or heard of Steve Irwin, 'The Crocodile Hunter' who has set the world image for the stereotypical Australian. I was surprised at how much his message has seemed to get through to Australians. The organization I was volunteering under is called Wild Mountains and their mission is to educate school children about conservation so they can learn about and pass on important environmental changing actions. As an interesting aside to the issue of Australian conservation, I found it surprising that all Australian toilets, public or private, have a full or half flush option to enable everyone to help conserve water. As the ultimate non-renewable resource, water is scarce in Australia because much of the country is in severe drought for most of the year. I found this to be a huge difference between Australia and Canada, as many Canadians waste water horribly, not even posing a thought to its scarcity in other parts of the world. My eyes were completely opened as I considered how terrible it would be to one day not have enough water to complete everyday tasks. The issue of water scarcity was driven home to me as we had to sleep in a shed with a limited water supply to have showers and wash dishes. The water we were expected to live on and not leave as a depleted supply came from the rain water reserves in a cistern. Once the supply was used up there would be none left for us to use in our daily tasks. It made me wonder what if that fear was on a global scale?
The two weeks of volunteering at Wild Mountains was intense and brought everyone back down to a grassroots level. We slept in sleeping bags on mattresses on the floor in a small loft. There was a wood stove to heat the shed and hot water for dishes or washing up. There was no television or radio as electricity was limited. We were responsible for preparing three meals a day in teams of three or four and cleaning up after everyone. Imagine the scenario: no dishwasher with dishes and pots for meals of around 15 people at every mealtime. The food was vegetarian and wholesome, as no junk food was to be found within miles. We ate together as a group, as no one was allowed to start until everyone had arrived from work. The work consisted of wood splitting, tree planting, weeding, painting, cleaning, and general construction labour. Whatever we could do to assist with getting the educational facility running by the end of August was our duty.
The entire two weeks consisted of basic living, work, and traditional values that have fallen by the wayside in our modern, urban lifestyle. A person might assume this type of experience might not be for the average 19-25 year olds from large, urban areas. Wrong! Every single student out of the nine on the volunteer work project said they loved the traditional values of sitting down for meals together, and playing cards or games in the evenings. The hectic sounds of the city were replaced by the cackling of the Kookaburras in the early morning and the deadlines of school and jobs were traded in for a shovel and a young tree needing to be planted in the hillside. Not one person was ready to go back to the hustle of their daily lives, as the step back in time to the wilderness of the mountains had positive effect on everyone.
As I resume the regular grindstone of my daily rountine, I will take with me many aspects of Wild Mountains. I will turn the faucets off when I am brushing my teeth or washing my face. I will turn all electricity off when it is not in immediate use. I will recycle more products and eliminate as much waste as possible because almost anything can be re-used. I will be aware that we share this planet with flora and fauna that have as much right to be here as we do. Most importantly, I will take the time to stop and appreciate the beauty of nature as the simplest of wonders go by un-noticed as people hustle through their lives. Thank you to the staff of Wild Mountains.
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