85. Learn to Snowboard
I’m almost there. I’ve been working on it incredibly hard the past couple of weeks – it’s one of the benefits of having a ski hill 10 minutes away from where you’re living. While I can hold my own on the board and do the basic things, I don’t want to say that I have completed this task until I feel 100% comfortable with saying “I am a snowboarder”. But I’m well on my way. I’ve even graduated to knowing how to stop as opposed to forcing myself to fall.
I’m not one to normally post Facebook chain letters or chain letters at all but this was holds a lot of meaning for me. So here goes …
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see the world, I will marry you.’ One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.He asked her,’Now that you can see the world, wil………l you marry me.’ The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: ‘Take good care of your eyes, my dear, before they were yours, they were mine. This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Today before you say an unkind word -
Think of someone who can’t speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food – Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife – Think of someone who’s crying out to GOD for a companion.
Today before you complain about life -Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before you complain about your children -Think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn’t clean or sweep – Think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive – Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job -Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another -Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one God.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down – Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you’re alive and still around.
Last night, I finished the final instalment of the Hunger Games series written by Suzanne Collins. Instead of reviewing each one separately, I thought I would review them all together. I absolutely loved this series. From the moment, I picked up the first book, I was riveted.
Hunger Games – This was by far my favourite of the series. I loved the character introduction and the feeling of falling immediately in love with the characters. I found Katniss to be a very complex individual and enjoyed trying to get into her head. To predict what was going to happen and sometimes be spot on and others be completely off the mark. Collins kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I loved the way that Collins set us up for events to occur later in the series. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, there isn’t a single character that is introduced without significance.
Catching Fire – This was my least favourite of the series. I found parts of it to be long and drawn out. I wasn’t a fan of Peeta and Katniss going back into the arena again but once they were in there, I found myself riveted. Figuring out the clock and all of the catastrophes that went along with it had me completely engulfed in the book.
Mockingjay – I’ve heard different reviews on this. People loved it, others hated it and some were indifferent. I have to say that I absolutely loved this book. I found the book to be very different then the others and I enjoyed that. This is the book where I fell completely in love with Peeta and began cheering for him over Gale. Until this book, I liked both of them (Peeta did have a slight edge though). I was, however, left unsatisfied by the end. I wanted more detail and found the climax of the fall of the Capitol completely rushed. I wanted more from it and didn’t get that.
Overall, I loved this series. It was right up my alley of finding that alternate world – a place that I haven’t visited since Harry Potter. I look forward to the movies and hope that they can do it justice.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been watching the World Junior Hockey Championships. I remember, my parents would even let me skip school when I was younger so that I could watch the medal rounds. I’ve been cheering Canada on for years – always thinking that gold is the only colour we should aim for. Today, I was reminded how wrong that is. We (myself included) put far too much pressure on these kids (yes, kids). We tell them that gold is the only colour they should be proud of. While it’s okay to aim for the top but the pressure we have put on these players is unreal. Yes, there is the ad that “pressure is power” but is it. At the age of 17 or 18, what were you doing? Because I know that I certainly didn’t have the hopes of a country on my shoulders. And while maybe that seems a little bit melodramatic or over the top, its a reality for many people.
On Tuesday evening, our Canadian World Juniors lost their Semi-Final game after having a perfect record in the round robin format of the tournament. The result of this was a gold medal game that was missing Canada for the first time since 2001. The Canadian players would play today for the Bronze medal versus Finland.
The Canadian team came together and played a hard fought game tournament and won the bronze medal. Even though they may not feel it now or even tomorrow, they should be proud of this medal. No, it’s not the colour they wanted but it’s something to be proud of. Something very few people achieve in their lifetimes.
I read a comment today that really sums up my thoughts about this issue.
Canada’s bronze win has taught me that it’s not always about winning, it’s about THE GAME. Gretzky once said something similar when he decided to keep coaching Phoenix even though he knew he wasn’t great at it. Hockey is Canada’s game forever. Why? Because no nation has as passionate as players and fans as Canadians. We LOVE the game. That’s forever our pride, and let’s support our Canadian team every year to demonstrate that fact. CANADIAN HOCKEY FOREVER.
Should gold be the goal? Yes. Should it be the expectation? No.
Congratulations to the 2012 World Junior Team Canada team. Be proud of your accomplishments. Your country is proud of you.
I spent last night with my parents and neighbours. We were talking about my Dad wanting to go to the mall today and my Mom told him he was crazy. His reply was …
But all I really wanted to do was to walk around and hold your hand.
I just sat there and teared up. In 28 years of marriage, my parents still have the ability to be adorably cute. This is what I want – a relationship and marriage that still loves almost 30 years together. I think it’s beautiful.
I was on Pinterest today because let’s face it, I am addicted and found a quote that really got me thinking. It said …
2011 was the year that went by so fast, maybe a little too fast. It’s the year your so-called friend walks out of your life and it’s the year you realize who the real ones are. It’s the year you felt the most pressure to the point where you gave up so many times but are still learning how to get back up. It’s the year you said you were going to accomplish great things but still feel like you wasted time. It’s the year you cried over too many things, pointless things. It’s the year you look back on all the lifetime memories and realize you miss the people in them. It’s the year that you begin to move on slowly and realize it’s all going to be okay.
There are so many aspects of this quote that are true and others not so much. I lost a “friend” this year. In a situation that was wildly misconstrued, I saw her true colours come out. I saw how vicious she could be with her words and I saw how immature she could be months later. I’m not a perfect person and I’ve never made myself out to be. I’ve definitely done and said things that I shouldn’t have but it’s those mistakes that bring you to the present.
Do I miss this said friend? I think aspects of it, yes. I don’t get how you could be friends with someone for close to ten years and not miss someone in your life. Do I wish to be friends with them again? Absolutely not. I feel like this person is someone that is associated with drama. Thinking about it now, her deciding to “call it quits” on friendships doesn’t seem to be all that rare – I can think of at least two people who were once extremely close with her that she decided she didn’t like anymore. Whether or not they have moved past that is another story and one I don’t care to hear about.
I’m not writing about this to make the individual seem like a bad person. I don’t think she is otherwise I wouldn’t have been friends with her for so long. I’ve just never really taken the time to think about it and all the drama that occurred. This is the first time I’ve really sat down and thought about what happened since June. It’s weird, you think that with the length of time you know someone that these fights and mutual decision to end a friendship would have been on my mind (and maybe it was in the back of it) but I never really focused much attention on it. I never really thought to myself “well, what happened?” There are a million answers to it and I’m sure I could give you both sides of the story pretty accurately. In her mind, I spread rumours about her in an attempt to “ruin her reputation.” In my mind, I encouraged someone else to put their health first. And yes, to this day, I will say, if you do not know the sexual history of someone you have slept with, you should get checked. Did this mean that I thought she was carrying something? No. Would I have encouraged her to take the same route as I encouraged him had she asked? Yes. Okay, yes, maybe I asked him “how the itch” was and I recognize the inappropriateness of the comment now but at the time (and in my inebriated state) found it hard to stop the verbal diarehha. Besides, I don’t think a single person sitting here can honestly say they’ve never said something that was a.) taken out of context, b.) shouldn’t have said and c.) regretted saying (which I did as soon as it came out). Joke or not, it was inappropriate. I think the important thing to remember in situations like this (or drama of any sort really) is that there are two sides to every story, with the truth somewhere in the middle.
That being said, I said some incredibly rude and inappropriate things to her when I was mad. I probably still have them saved somewhere and it makes me cringe that I could not only think thoughts like that but say them or even worse, write them down. Like I said before, I’m not a perfect person and I’ve never made myself out to be.
It’s funny how one quote can really make you think of a situation you’ve pushed to the back of your mind. I really haven’t thought about this situation for a long time but I do think of the person I thought I knew. I hope they’re doing well. Obviously, I wish them no harm. I’ve never been happier in my life and I hope that she is also happy. There’s no point in wishing people misery. It only makes you a dark and depressed shell of a person yourself. I think that’s the part that made me realize how over all of this I was. If I was still hung up about it, I wouldn’t want to her to be well. And yes, I’ve spent the better part of a half hour writing this but I’m a person that needs to write and writing is what I will do to get my thoughts out. Then I can shut them off. It’s like I just need to put it in writing for the thoughts to voluntarily disappear from my mind.
It’s weird, I decided to blog today because I found this quote that I related to on a few levels and now I’m only addressing one part. Maybe I’ll address the rest in a future post.
Tomorrow is the last day of my primary placement for my Bachelor of Education year. I cannot believe that this block is finished already. At the beginning, I was hesitant how much I would enjoy this class but over the six weeks I was with them, I fell in love with them. From their quirky senses of humour, to the absolute sarcastic nature of one of my students, to the interrupting, corrections, and clumsiness, I love them for all that they are. I’ve seen each and every one of these students grow in some way this year – whether it was a breakthrough in math or language or it was coming out of their shell on the playground. I am so incredibly proud of them all. I can’t wait to see where they are in one year, five years and ten years. I can see the mini-teachers, doctors, scientists in that room. I can see the ones that will spend their lives giving back. I can see the ones who will fight for those who are unable to fight. I can see the ones making tomorrow brighter.
They make all of my days brighter. Seeing their happy faces each morning makes me happy. I’ve been so lucky to be a pre-service teacher with them. They’ve taught me more than I could ever teach them.
In one of my classes today, my professor asked us to describe our “defining moment” – the moment we realized that our calling was to be a teacher. Mine was kind of two fold.
I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. When I was little, I used to line up my stuffed animals and dolls and “teach” them my lessons that I learnt at school that day. When I was in High School, we had Grade 12 Guidance meetings in our last year. When I met with my Guidance Counselor, he told me that I would a.) never get into University and if I did then, b.) would never graduate never mind thinking of becoming a teacher. (Side note: I would like to point out to this Guidance Counselor that I HAVE graduated University with a Honours Bachelor of Arts and am currently in Teacher’s College). When this happened, I was devastated. I went back to class completely deflated. My teacher pulled me aside at the end of the class and asked me what was wrong. I told him what had happened. He said to me, “Shannon, I realize how hard that is to hear but you need to understand that he does not know you. He does not see how hard you work or what you are like on a daily basis. He has zero right to judge you and make comments like that. I, on the other hand, have been your teacher, choir advisor, and band advisor for four years now. I see you on a daily basis in class and twice a week during extra curricular activities. You will get into University. You will graduate and you will become a GREAT teacher.” That conversation has stayed with me until today. This teacher was more then my mentor. He is the reason that I am going to teach. He gave me the confidence to apply to University when I didn’t have any. He gave me the confidence to apply to Teacher’s College. He has probably long forgotten that conversation but that simply conversation has changed my life.
My other moment is much more recent. Before I decided to apply to Teacher’s College, I wanted to volunteer in an elementary classroom. I wanted to make sure it was still something that I really wanted to do. During this volunteer placement, I was assigned to a Grade Three classroom. I think I’ve mentioned before how much they have changed my life (see here to read about it). There is one student who has particularly changed my life. She showed me the innocence of childhood. She’s challenged me and pushed me to my absolute limit. But the moment when I saw her write for the first time on her own was a moment when I have never been prouder of another person. She amazes me and continues to do so. Her exceptionalities create some roadblocks but she is amazing. She loves hard, she works hard and she is one of the absolute best children that I have ever known. AL, you have changed my life. I cannot wait to work with you again in December.
So those were my defining moments. I doubt anything can ever reach the feeling I had during those two moments. I look forward to the journey and falling in love with teaching more and more everyday.
Ten years ago, the world changed in a way we never thought imaginable. It changed in an instant and it did not change for the better. Since September 11, 2001 we have become more guarded and less trusting. However, in many other ways, we have changed for the better. We are more loving, more caring and more forgiving. We appreciate our families and loved ones more than we used to. We tell them we love them more than we used to. However, we are the lucky ones. There are those that cannot appreciate their loved ones any longer. They cannot tell them they love them. They cannot hear it back. Because of an act of hatred.
It never ceases to amaze me how wildly this has touched people. Those who cannot ever imagine having a personal connection with those involved have reached out in ways that I would have thought impossible. There have been thousands of heroes who have sacrificed their lives for people they did not know. There are not enough ways in the world we can thank them.
9/11
Where were you when you heard of the planks crashing into the Twin Towers and Pentagon? Personally, I was in Math Class in Grade 11. My teacher always kept the door closed so we didn’t hear anything until after class. When I found out, I believe the second tower had already been hit. My friend told me and I thought she was kidding. It wasn’t until I walked by another classroom and saw it on the tv that I finally believed it. Even then, I’m not sure I could comprehend what was happening before my eyes.
Anyone that knows me will know how much of a hockey fan I am. Anyone who has met me knows how much I adore Sidney Crosby. So when he was hit on January 1st, I knew it was bad. When he was hit again the following game, I knew it was worse. When he announced he had a concussion, I knew that he would be out for an extended period of time. During this time, I followed his progress from every angle I could find. There hasn’t been a lot of press this summer on him. To me, this isn’t good. If he had been working out to the extent that the Penguins organization has said he has, the media would be all over it.
Today, it was announced that Crosby would hold a press conference regarding the 2011-2012 season tomorrow at 12:30. There are red flags everywhere I turn. I just cannot imagine a positive outcome of this. From insider reports, I’ve heard that Crosby’s hit was worse then all of Lindros’ hits combined. There are a few outcomes I can think of for this press conference. They go from one extreme (ready to play on Opening Night) to the other (retirement). My guess is that Crosby is not ready to return. He’ll most likely go on “injured reserve” thus freeing up cap space. He’ll probably announce that he will have an extended period of time away from the game. He’ll continue to skate and progress and will not come back until he is ready. I don’t think there is going to be a timeline and I honestly, think we’ll be lucky to see him this season. Ultimately, the time he takes away from the game should not matter. I would rather go without him for a season and see him thrive for another 10 seasons then see him play once or twice, get hit again and be done. Because really, as many tickets as he sells and as much as we love to see him play, his health is more important then anything.
Get well soon, Crosby. We miss you on the Penguins and we miss you in the League.