The beginning of the end. Or maybe more appropriately the beginning of the beginning. As of tomorrow (April 28th), I will officially be in my 4th (and final) year of Optometry school. The final step of school, but the first step of what I'll be doing the rest of my life.
The last couple weeks have been kind of strange emotion-wise. It's just been a whole mumble-jumble of different things. I wrote my last university exam. I said goodbye to my friends and classmates, most of whom I won't see for a whole year until we come back together to write boards and graduate. I packed up boxes and boxes of my stuff in Waterloo and made the long drive back to Regina with my dad. And now, I'm back in Regina, a place that I haven't spent more than two months at a time in since I left 3 years ago. A place that will always be home - but isn't fully 'home' anymore either. A place that has always been separate from my Optometry world - but starting tomorrow will fully be a part of it.
It's all kind of strange feeling right now - but I don't doubt that I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I've had lots of little things to remind me of that.
Well, I'm off to get a few things ready for the morning. I'm off to Moose Jaw tomorrow, so it will be an early morning. More thoughts later once I'm more into things...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
It Can Start With You!
In honour of Earth Day, I thought I would share my "award-winning" Earth Day poem from Grade 5 at Ethel Milliken School.
It Can Start with You!
Our earth is dying, Our earth is crying,
It's dying because of us. Oh earth, cry you must.
There is a way, we must all help everyday.
Now this is the way it would be, the way it always should, you see.
Robins chirping everywhere, birds soaring through the air.
Trees growing green and tall, no worries, no worries at all.
Bug roaming on the ground, Antelope running free and around.
Fish swimming in the sea, dolphins diving high and free.
No cars, no trucks, no worries at all.
No animals falling once and for all.
Now this is what the world would be like,
If everyone would just ride their bike.
Now I'm coming along, to the worst part which is wrong.
Smog being pumped out by tonnes, pesticides killing animal young ones.
Landfills being filled up with dump, now if you could see you would jump,
At energy and water being used by the hour,
at animals being shot, and they will all drop,
They're wanted for furs which lasts for many long years,
Rain forests are being cleared for cattle, Oh dear,
Oil spills are killing swimming animals.
Why don't we save all our mammals?
There's lots to do, but it can start with you!
(I'm not lying about it being award-winning - I got 1st place in the poem category!)
It Can Start with You!
Our earth is dying, Our earth is crying,
It's dying because of us. Oh earth, cry you must.
There is a way, we must all help everyday.
Now this is the way it would be, the way it always should, you see.
Robins chirping everywhere, birds soaring through the air.
Trees growing green and tall, no worries, no worries at all.
Bug roaming on the ground, Antelope running free and around.
Fish swimming in the sea, dolphins diving high and free.
No cars, no trucks, no worries at all.
No animals falling once and for all.
Now this is what the world would be like,
If everyone would just ride their bike.
Now I'm coming along, to the worst part which is wrong.
Smog being pumped out by tonnes, pesticides killing animal young ones.
Landfills being filled up with dump, now if you could see you would jump,
At energy and water being used by the hour,
at animals being shot, and they will all drop,
They're wanted for furs which lasts for many long years,
Rain forests are being cleared for cattle, Oh dear,
Oil spills are killing swimming animals.
Why don't we save all our mammals?
There's lots to do, but it can start with you!
(I'm not lying about it being award-winning - I got 1st place in the poem category!)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Homeward Bound
I'm sitting in a hotel room in Ashland, Wisconsin. I spent a good 8 or so hours in the car today, and there is still a good full day of driving tomorrow. I fully realize how far away from home I live only when I have to drive it.
Dad arrived in Kitchener/Waterloo on Wednesday night. We hit the road on Thursday (after writing my last university exam EVER) and drove to Birch Run, Michigan. As I said before, we are in Ashland, Wisconsin right now. By tomorrow night, we'll be in Winnipeg, and then will drive the last leg to Regina on Sunday.
It's strange to be driving those roads again with my dad. It seems like just yesterday that we packed up the car and he drove me out to Ontario to start school. It's unbelievable that that was nearly three years ago. Now, I'm on my way home, all done classes and about to start my year of externships. So close to being done. The drives are like Bookends (I'm on a roll with Simon & Garfunkel song titles) on my time in Waterloo.
That's about it from here. More to come from me soon.
Dad arrived in Kitchener/Waterloo on Wednesday night. We hit the road on Thursday (after writing my last university exam EVER) and drove to Birch Run, Michigan. As I said before, we are in Ashland, Wisconsin right now. By tomorrow night, we'll be in Winnipeg, and then will drive the last leg to Regina on Sunday.
It's strange to be driving those roads again with my dad. It seems like just yesterday that we packed up the car and he drove me out to Ontario to start school. It's unbelievable that that was nearly three years ago. Now, I'm on my way home, all done classes and about to start my year of externships. So close to being done. The drives are like Bookends (I'm on a roll with Simon & Garfunkel song titles) on my time in Waterloo.
That's about it from here. More to come from me soon.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Long Defeat
Ever had something (a book, a CD, a movie) that just keeps on "coming up" in your life? Or that you just "happen" to stumble upon at a time where it really spoke to you? I've had a lot of those lately. Or maybe I've just become more aware of them. Either way, I usually end up being encouraged in some way or other.
The book 'Mountains Beyond Mountains' by Tracy Kidder has been one of those books for me during this past year. I first stumbled upon it last summer in Tanzania, when one of the other volunteers had it with her. Judging solely by the back-cover description and my volunteer friends' opinion, I thought it sounded like a book that I would enjoy reading, so I tucked the name into the back of my mind. Near the beginning of the school year, I decided to order it from Chapters. I read it during the fall - thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. I was so encouraged by Dr. Paul Farmer (the man that the book is about), and his devotion to providing good health care to all people, in countries such as Haiti, Peru, Cuba and Russia.
Since then, it has been recommended by a friend and classmate, who also told me that one of our profs recommended it in first year, which was why she first read it. And now most recently, one of the songs on a new CD that I have been listening to a lot lately is based on a quote from the book. It is the words that this song is based on that hit me the hardest out of anything that was said in the book. I intended to blog about this right after I finished reading, but life got busy and I just never got around to it. After being reminded of it recently through this song, I thought that I still want to share it with you.
For a bit of background: Dr. Paul Farmer and the author are walking to a village to visit one patient. On the way, the author asks Farmer what he thinks about people's reactions to him, his organization, Partners in Health (PIH), and the work that they are doing.
Part of Farmer's response is this:
"I have fought the long defeat and brought other people on to fight the long defeat, and I'm not going to stop because we keep losing. Now I actually think sometimes we may win."
"You know, people from our background -- like you, like most PIH-ers, like me -- we're used to being on a victory team, and actually what we're really trying to do in PIH is to make common cause with the losers. Those are two very different things. We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it's not worth it. So you fight the long defeat."
I totally identify with this idea of fighting the long defeat. Not to be negative, but the problems in this world can often be so overwhelming, and it feels like no matter what I do, it will never be enough to make a difference. It would be so much easier to give up, and not care about anything anymore. But, like Farmer said, at the risk of turning my back on those who actually could use my help, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep doing what I can to make a difference, no matter how many bumps or losses there may be along the way.
And finally, here's a few of the words from the song 'The Long Defeat' by Sara Groves. The words in this song remind me that in fighting the long defeat, we carry a heavy burden on our hearts and minds. Thankfully, we don't have to carry it alone - and someone much bigger is helping us to carry it.
i have joined the long defeat
that falling set in motion
and all my strength and energy
are raindrops in the ocean
so conditioned for the win
to share in victor's stories
but in the place of ambition's din
i have heard of other glories
and i pray for an idea
and a way i cannot see
it's too heavy to carry
and impossible to leave
i can't just fight when i think i'll win
that's the end of all belief
and nothing has provoked it more
than a possible defeat
and i pray for a vision
and a way i cannot see
it's too heavy to carry
and impossible to leave
The book 'Mountains Beyond Mountains' by Tracy Kidder has been one of those books for me during this past year. I first stumbled upon it last summer in Tanzania, when one of the other volunteers had it with her. Judging solely by the back-cover description and my volunteer friends' opinion, I thought it sounded like a book that I would enjoy reading, so I tucked the name into the back of my mind. Near the beginning of the school year, I decided to order it from Chapters. I read it during the fall - thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. I was so encouraged by Dr. Paul Farmer (the man that the book is about), and his devotion to providing good health care to all people, in countries such as Haiti, Peru, Cuba and Russia.
Since then, it has been recommended by a friend and classmate, who also told me that one of our profs recommended it in first year, which was why she first read it. And now most recently, one of the songs on a new CD that I have been listening to a lot lately is based on a quote from the book. It is the words that this song is based on that hit me the hardest out of anything that was said in the book. I intended to blog about this right after I finished reading, but life got busy and I just never got around to it. After being reminded of it recently through this song, I thought that I still want to share it with you.
For a bit of background: Dr. Paul Farmer and the author are walking to a village to visit one patient. On the way, the author asks Farmer what he thinks about people's reactions to him, his organization, Partners in Health (PIH), and the work that they are doing.
Part of Farmer's response is this:
"I have fought the long defeat and brought other people on to fight the long defeat, and I'm not going to stop because we keep losing. Now I actually think sometimes we may win."
"You know, people from our background -- like you, like most PIH-ers, like me -- we're used to being on a victory team, and actually what we're really trying to do in PIH is to make common cause with the losers. Those are two very different things. We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it's not worth it. So you fight the long defeat."
I totally identify with this idea of fighting the long defeat. Not to be negative, but the problems in this world can often be so overwhelming, and it feels like no matter what I do, it will never be enough to make a difference. It would be so much easier to give up, and not care about anything anymore. But, like Farmer said, at the risk of turning my back on those who actually could use my help, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep doing what I can to make a difference, no matter how many bumps or losses there may be along the way.
And finally, here's a few of the words from the song 'The Long Defeat' by Sara Groves. The words in this song remind me that in fighting the long defeat, we carry a heavy burden on our hearts and minds. Thankfully, we don't have to carry it alone - and someone much bigger is helping us to carry it.
i have joined the long defeat
that falling set in motion
and all my strength and energy
are raindrops in the ocean
so conditioned for the win
to share in victor's stories
but in the place of ambition's din
i have heard of other glories
and i pray for an idea
and a way i cannot see
it's too heavy to carry
and impossible to leave
i can't just fight when i think i'll win
that's the end of all belief
and nothing has provoked it more
than a possible defeat
and i pray for a vision
and a way i cannot see
it's too heavy to carry
and impossible to leave
Sunday, March 02, 2008
picnik fun
i've started playing around a bit with a program called picnik. it's pretty fun, and allows you to do some neat things with photos. i'm glad i didn't start using it until after midterms - because it would be a good procrastination tool. here's a couple ones that i made last night.
-quote by Mary McLeod Bethune
-quote by Jena Lee in 'Hope in the Dark'
-quote by Mary McLeod Bethune
-quote by Jena Lee in 'Hope in the Dark'
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