And what a term is has been!
For some reason, this term has been incredibly hard on everyone. As enthusiastic as I was when I started off this year, I am really struggling to pull through this last little bit. I was not prepared for the bombardment of my academic, social, personal and physical demands. But I am going to make it (at least that's what they keep telling me).
I have finally secured my first volunteer placement for the rest of the year. I am working with Family and Children's Services as a tutor and befriender. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. I was really skeptical of it in the beginning, while I was doing training, simply because it seemed to be a lot of common sense. But I guess when you are working with people who are so vulnerable, you need to be sure that everyone has clear expectations and understandings.
I'm hoping to send an email off to the highschool some time this week. I am very excited to be getting back into the classroom. I've been thinking about how much I love teaching, and I think that being back in that atmosphere will be the kick in the butt that I need to get my life back on track.
The next few weeks will be dedicated to getting myself geared up for the coming months. I'm sure that it will be another long term, but I can't wait!!
All the best!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Getting Ready for a Year of Learning
It feels like forever since the last time I sat down to write.
Over the past few months I have been making incredible changes to my life, and just working on becoming a better person, in every sense of those words. It's been a tough little while, but I'm so excited for the changes I've made, and the strength that I have found in my family and my friends.
This year, I have a loaded plate, and there's nothing I love more than a loaded plate. Not only am I putting in volunteer hours at the University through Students' Union, OCD, and the Women's Center, but I am also planning to work on building up my community repertoire. I want to begin working in some of the local women's shelters. One of the things that I want to accomplish before my life is over is to start a women's shelter, and it's a goal that I can only reach if I start aiming for it now. Unfortunatly, to do work in the shelters means that I need to be a lot older. So I am currently looking for volunteer positions in other areas that are somewhat similar.
I have to give a shout out to the Volunteer Action Center. They do an incredible job of putting together a searchable database. Please do check them out at: www.volunteerkw.ca
I am going to be continuing to search for opportunities to really broaden my skill set and help out within the community. Hopefully I will be able to find an organization willing to work with my limited schedule, and that will help me to make a huge impact in the community!
I'll keep you all posted!
Over the past few months I have been making incredible changes to my life, and just working on becoming a better person, in every sense of those words. It's been a tough little while, but I'm so excited for the changes I've made, and the strength that I have found in my family and my friends.
This year, I have a loaded plate, and there's nothing I love more than a loaded plate. Not only am I putting in volunteer hours at the University through Students' Union, OCD, and the Women's Center, but I am also planning to work on building up my community repertoire. I want to begin working in some of the local women's shelters. One of the things that I want to accomplish before my life is over is to start a women's shelter, and it's a goal that I can only reach if I start aiming for it now. Unfortunatly, to do work in the shelters means that I need to be a lot older. So I am currently looking for volunteer positions in other areas that are somewhat similar.
I have to give a shout out to the Volunteer Action Center. They do an incredible job of putting together a searchable database. Please do check them out at: www.volunteerkw.ca
I am going to be continuing to search for opportunities to really broaden my skill set and help out within the community. Hopefully I will be able to find an organization willing to work with my limited schedule, and that will help me to make a huge impact in the community!
I'll keep you all posted!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Learning to Lead
It seems like it's been forever since I last posted an entry, and so I'm sorry to all of those people who have been wanting to read more! Your patience and gentle nudges have finally brought me to this point.
This past weekend, I attended a leadership conference at Paradise Lake with the individuals that I work with on Union, as well as some of the other councils that are actively involved in the school. It was an incredibly revealing experience and I truly enjoyed every moment I spent there.
There are three moments that really stood out for me (in a positive light) this weekend that I want to share with all of you. Maybe this is something that you can relate to, or maybe it's something that you can learn from.
The first moment hat really stood out for me was being on the High Ropes course. I was completely confident in my abilities to do this. I have no fears of heights, and a lot of trust in the equipment that is used. Nonetheless, getting out onto the course I was overwhelmed by the amount of support that was shown to me and to all of the members at the conference. People were shouting words of encouragement to people they barely knew, focusing on motivating them through the difficult challenges that they faced. Watching people that I know well struggle to face their fears, and then loving life after they had achieved their goal was an incredibly humbling experience. My congratulations to all of my teammates who made it through the courses.
The second moment that stood out for me was a fantastic speech given by Sister Martha, or as she preferred to be known while on the retreat, Martha. Martha spoke to us about how important it is to find balance between our own personal lives, and the challenges we face when we come into contact with the lives of others. She taught us the power of centering ourselves and becoming comfortable with where we feel that we belong. She taught us that the strength of a team comes not from how much we accomplish, but from how we relate to ourselves and to one another and how these relationships impact and drive what we do. This is something that I find personally challenging. I often forget to take care of the person that I am, and what my core values are when I'm working at achieving at task. It was nice to have someone validate for me that it's okay for me to take a time out and breathe. That is something that I will need to continue to remember while I am stressed out and overworking myself during the year.
The last moment that really stood out for me was hearing David Perrin speak. Dr. Perrin spoke to us about what it means to be an outsider. This is something that I found incredibly inspiring. We often lose sight of how much we take our positions for granted, and it is not often that we feel we need to challenge our surroundings and become an outsider for a little bit. Dr. Perrin reminded us of that, and I am forever grateful.
Along with all of the leadership building and communication building with others that we took away from the experience we shared, each of us also got a book on leadership. The book was Strengths Based Leadership, and it talked a lot about how the best leaders are the ones who effectively use their strengths to guide other team members. We were each given a code to take an "inventory" online to discover our strengths. This is something that I was incredibly excited to do! I love learning more about myself, and I was curious to see how close I would actually be to the results that would appear. I took the test today and laughed as I read, word for word, the story of my life. And so for your enjoyment, I have included in my post today, my 5 strengths, and a little bit of information about each of them...
1) Restorative
-I am a good trainer and teacher
-I help students overcome their failures and conquer their weaknesses
-I like working alone to figure out why/how I fell short of my goals and prevents me from making them again in the future
-I desire to be influential and be pit in charge of groups or projects
2) Significance
-I gain a sense of purpose by working
-I want people to listen to me
-I encourage others by celebrating their successes
-I provide motivation for people to reach their goals
-I am eager to take on responsibilities and make decisions
-I look forwards to the benefits that I get out of rank
3)Input
-I give good advice (usually)
-I enjoy reading
-I desire to gain additional skills and talents
-I make great leaps when I am given the chance to exchange ideas in a group
-I love complicated procedures and I can reduce them down to simplistic terms
-I enjoy helping other understand how to follow these terms
4) Strategic
-I find the right words to say to express myself and my ideas
-I love to share my ideas
-I pay close attention to everything that goes on around me (even if it looks like I'm not)
-I figure out what is actually important in the information I get, and am able to focus on the and pinpoint problems and emerging ideas
-I can find links between things that other people can't
5) Learner
-I enroll in challenging situations willingly
-I expect to be in the loop about everything, whether it effects me or not
-I am always looking to find new ways to do things
-I try to get out of situations where people want me to keep doing the same repetitive tasks.
I couldn't believe it as I was reading the descriptions of these skills. I was finding myself agreeing with everything. i highly recommend that everyone go and check out the book/website!!
http://strengths.gallup.com/110659/Homepage.aspx
All in all, I had a great weekend, and I've learned so much about myself and how I can work to be a better leader to the people that I will be coming into contact with over the next year. I'm so excited to see how everything is going to turn out!!
This past weekend, I attended a leadership conference at Paradise Lake with the individuals that I work with on Union, as well as some of the other councils that are actively involved in the school. It was an incredibly revealing experience and I truly enjoyed every moment I spent there.
There are three moments that really stood out for me (in a positive light) this weekend that I want to share with all of you. Maybe this is something that you can relate to, or maybe it's something that you can learn from.
The first moment hat really stood out for me was being on the High Ropes course. I was completely confident in my abilities to do this. I have no fears of heights, and a lot of trust in the equipment that is used. Nonetheless, getting out onto the course I was overwhelmed by the amount of support that was shown to me and to all of the members at the conference. People were shouting words of encouragement to people they barely knew, focusing on motivating them through the difficult challenges that they faced. Watching people that I know well struggle to face their fears, and then loving life after they had achieved their goal was an incredibly humbling experience. My congratulations to all of my teammates who made it through the courses.
The second moment that stood out for me was a fantastic speech given by Sister Martha, or as she preferred to be known while on the retreat, Martha. Martha spoke to us about how important it is to find balance between our own personal lives, and the challenges we face when we come into contact with the lives of others. She taught us the power of centering ourselves and becoming comfortable with where we feel that we belong. She taught us that the strength of a team comes not from how much we accomplish, but from how we relate to ourselves and to one another and how these relationships impact and drive what we do. This is something that I find personally challenging. I often forget to take care of the person that I am, and what my core values are when I'm working at achieving at task. It was nice to have someone validate for me that it's okay for me to take a time out and breathe. That is something that I will need to continue to remember while I am stressed out and overworking myself during the year.
The last moment that really stood out for me was hearing David Perrin speak. Dr. Perrin spoke to us about what it means to be an outsider. This is something that I found incredibly inspiring. We often lose sight of how much we take our positions for granted, and it is not often that we feel we need to challenge our surroundings and become an outsider for a little bit. Dr. Perrin reminded us of that, and I am forever grateful.
Along with all of the leadership building and communication building with others that we took away from the experience we shared, each of us also got a book on leadership. The book was Strengths Based Leadership, and it talked a lot about how the best leaders are the ones who effectively use their strengths to guide other team members. We were each given a code to take an "inventory" online to discover our strengths. This is something that I was incredibly excited to do! I love learning more about myself, and I was curious to see how close I would actually be to the results that would appear. I took the test today and laughed as I read, word for word, the story of my life. And so for your enjoyment, I have included in my post today, my 5 strengths, and a little bit of information about each of them...
1) Restorative
-I am a good trainer and teacher
-I help students overcome their failures and conquer their weaknesses
-I like working alone to figure out why/how I fell short of my goals and prevents me from making them again in the future
-I desire to be influential and be pit in charge of groups or projects
2) Significance
-I gain a sense of purpose by working
-I want people to listen to me
-I encourage others by celebrating their successes
-I provide motivation for people to reach their goals
-I am eager to take on responsibilities and make decisions
-I look forwards to the benefits that I get out of rank
3)Input
-I give good advice (usually)
-I enjoy reading
-I desire to gain additional skills and talents
-I make great leaps when I am given the chance to exchange ideas in a group
-I love complicated procedures and I can reduce them down to simplistic terms
-I enjoy helping other understand how to follow these terms
4) Strategic
-I find the right words to say to express myself and my ideas
-I love to share my ideas
-I pay close attention to everything that goes on around me (even if it looks like I'm not)
-I figure out what is actually important in the information I get, and am able to focus on the and pinpoint problems and emerging ideas
-I can find links between things that other people can't
5) Learner
-I enroll in challenging situations willingly
-I expect to be in the loop about everything, whether it effects me or not
-I am always looking to find new ways to do things
-I try to get out of situations where people want me to keep doing the same repetitive tasks.
I couldn't believe it as I was reading the descriptions of these skills. I was finding myself agreeing with everything. i highly recommend that everyone go and check out the book/website!!
http://strengths.gallup.com/110659/Homepage.aspx
All in all, I had a great weekend, and I've learned so much about myself and how I can work to be a better leader to the people that I will be coming into contact with over the next year. I'm so excited to see how everything is going to turn out!!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Keeping the Books
This week's Working Center experience was really different for me. I loved teaching so much last week that I knew this week i had to do something to top it. Something that could help me show the world what I had found up in that back corner. I had to share the joy with someone else!
So I brought my boyfriend, Josh. I was so excited to show him everything that goes on. I found all the materials and I taught him how to make the books that I made last week. Being able to show him what I was working on and working towards was a ton of fun.
We made 3 books, and they all turned out beautifully. We each got lost in our own worlds for a bit while we were making them. hen we were finished for the day we put everything away and then went downstairs to look at some of the things that were for sale. I found the rug that I wove, but I hadn't brought any money with me to buy it. We looked at some of the other beautiful wares that others had created and I think we both felt a great amount of pride for all of teh beauty that we helped to accomplish upstairs with Misha.
After we left the Working Center, Josh started asking me many questions about all the people who work at the center. I couldn't answer all of them, but the ones I did answer I felt confident about. It's funny to think that a few weeks ago I was complaining that i woudl never feel comfortable and that i coudl never learn new skills.
And now here I am. learning, teaching, and loving all at the same time.
So I brought my boyfriend, Josh. I was so excited to show him everything that goes on. I found all the materials and I taught him how to make the books that I made last week. Being able to show him what I was working on and working towards was a ton of fun.
We made 3 books, and they all turned out beautifully. We each got lost in our own worlds for a bit while we were making them. hen we were finished for the day we put everything away and then went downstairs to look at some of the things that were for sale. I found the rug that I wove, but I hadn't brought any money with me to buy it. We looked at some of the other beautiful wares that others had created and I think we both felt a great amount of pride for all of teh beauty that we helped to accomplish upstairs with Misha.
After we left the Working Center, Josh started asking me many questions about all the people who work at the center. I couldn't answer all of them, but the ones I did answer I felt confident about. It's funny to think that a few weeks ago I was complaining that i woudl never feel comfortable and that i coudl never learn new skills.
And now here I am. learning, teaching, and loving all at the same time.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The blind leading the blind
March Madness has begun!!
Trying to keep up with the piles of work that I have left to do before the end of term has been difficult to do in the past little bit. But I'm doing okay. I am so excited about some great news i got regarding my commitments for next year!
First, I am social convenor elect for next year's SJU union! This is something that I have been wanting to do for such a long time and I am so excited to have the opportunity to do it. I can't wait to strat planning for my events!
Second, I will be an Off-Campus Don next year! This is something that I never thought that I would be doing. I'm sure that everything will run very smoothly and I look forward to meeting all of my first-years.
Somehow in the midst of all of this, i found the time to go to The Working Center this week. I'm so glad that I did. This week there weren't as many people as there were last time, but we still got a lot accomplished.
The first thing that I did was tie knots in the rugs that had been weaved. I was so excited when I saw the rug that I helped make. It was beautiful! If it's there when I go in next week I might buy it. It would make a great addition to my room.
Next I made these little books that pop open to reveal 3 diamond shaped pieces of hand made paper. Misha showed me how to do one, and then I taught two other people how to make them. the first one I did failed horribly, but the ones that I made after that, and the ones that were made by the two lovely people helping me turned out beautifully.
I was so happy when Misha suggested that I teach the two others how to make the books. Up until that point I think that I was being very reserved in the ArtSpace. I was pushed out of my comfort zone. But when i was given the role of "teacher" I did well. I really started chatting it up to the people around me.
One of the men that was there (a regular) was crocheting a rug. He wanted to know how you would crochet a scarf, and I told him that I would bring my stuff in and show him next week. He seemed really interested and I hope that he will find a love for crocheting like I have.
I can't wait to get back there next week. I think it will be a wonderful break from the hustle of my life right now. As well, a lot of the volunteers won't be coming next week because it's March Break, so I think I'm going to bring my boyfriend, and maybe my brother along with me. I hope that they'll enjoy working in the ArtSpace as much as I do!!
Trying to keep up with the piles of work that I have left to do before the end of term has been difficult to do in the past little bit. But I'm doing okay. I am so excited about some great news i got regarding my commitments for next year!
First, I am social convenor elect for next year's SJU union! This is something that I have been wanting to do for such a long time and I am so excited to have the opportunity to do it. I can't wait to strat planning for my events!
Second, I will be an Off-Campus Don next year! This is something that I never thought that I would be doing. I'm sure that everything will run very smoothly and I look forward to meeting all of my first-years.
Somehow in the midst of all of this, i found the time to go to The Working Center this week. I'm so glad that I did. This week there weren't as many people as there were last time, but we still got a lot accomplished.
The first thing that I did was tie knots in the rugs that had been weaved. I was so excited when I saw the rug that I helped make. It was beautiful! If it's there when I go in next week I might buy it. It would make a great addition to my room.
Next I made these little books that pop open to reveal 3 diamond shaped pieces of hand made paper. Misha showed me how to do one, and then I taught two other people how to make them. the first one I did failed horribly, but the ones that I made after that, and the ones that were made by the two lovely people helping me turned out beautifully.
I was so happy when Misha suggested that I teach the two others how to make the books. Up until that point I think that I was being very reserved in the ArtSpace. I was pushed out of my comfort zone. But when i was given the role of "teacher" I did well. I really started chatting it up to the people around me.
One of the men that was there (a regular) was crocheting a rug. He wanted to know how you would crochet a scarf, and I told him that I would bring my stuff in and show him next week. He seemed really interested and I hope that he will find a love for crocheting like I have.
I can't wait to get back there next week. I think it will be a wonderful break from the hustle of my life right now. As well, a lot of the volunteers won't be coming next week because it's March Break, so I think I'm going to bring my boyfriend, and maybe my brother along with me. I hope that they'll enjoy working in the ArtSpace as much as I do!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Weaving the Memories
I've been so busy this weekend! I celebrated both of my parents' birthdays (Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!), and worked. But I've been so excited to get a few minutes to update you guys on how things went on Friday at the Working Center!
So, Friday. One thirty rolls around and I'm trying to convince my mother of all the reasons why I should NOT go.
Reasons like :
1) I'm tired
2) I'm cranky
3) They forgot about me before, who says they won't forget about me now?
4) I don't know what I'm doing
5)It's FRIDAY
But all the same I get in the truck and let my mother drive me downtown. "Drive around the block mom... please? Just in case no one is there again? I don't want to look like an idiot. PLEASE mom?" She just kicked me out.
I trudged my way upstairs, secretly hoping no one would remember my face so that when I came down 10 minutes later they wouldn't laugh. i went upstairs and turned the corner, and instantly my spirits lifted.
There were PEOPLE! Like 6!! I couldn't believe it! At last, I had found my colleagues. At last, I could blend in!! I introduced myself to Misha, who apologized for everything, but by that point, I didn't care. I just wanted to DO what all these other people were doing.
I'm gonna take a time-out here and tell the stories of a few of the people who joined Misha last Friday. Names, as always, will not be mentioned.
The first women that I saw was sitting, working the small loom. She was making a scarf. She spoke little English, but had a brilliant smile and was eager to learn every time Misha asked if she could show her something different.
Two younger women were there as well, making cards. It sounded like they were University students, but I could be wrong. I didn't listen too intently to their conversations.
One of the gentlemen that joined us was cutting and sewing together squares with another woman. He acted as a english-spanish translator between that woman and Misha. They worked quietly and diligently, and by the end of the 2 hours had created a beautiful pattern for a quilt. Another man was there as well, working alongside a woman with a broken shoulder. The woman didn't stay for very long. She was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to get time in home to watch the soaps. "There's gonna be gunfire today!" she told me with a smile, "I can't wait to see who gets it!".
We would have had another volunteer, but the woman came in looking very frazzled. She went up to Misha, and started apologizing over and over for being late. "I forgot to day was a P.A. day for my kids! My sitter couldn't watch them. They're staying with a neighbour right now. I should have called. I'm so sorry I'm late!" Misha sent her home to be with her kids. I couldn't believe the dedication that the woman had, wanting so desperately to help.
Okay, so back to me and Misha. So, I hang my coat up and Misha looks me up and down. this is when the panic sets in for me. I go over everything in my head. I'm pretty sure I've read up on everything. I doubt there will be any curve balls. She looks around the room and then smiles. "Can I teach you to weave?" she asks, and walks over to the giant loom. My jaw dropped to the floor. The only thing that I reserved for the VERY experienced volunteers. The only thing I didn't read up on. I'm pretty sure my mouth was still open as I walked over and nodded. Misha must have noticed (it's kinda hard not to, I have a REALLY big mouth), "It's not hard!" she said.
She gave me a series of directions and a couple of demonstrations. I watched carefully, and kept repeating the patterns in my head so that I would remember. I was so nervous. Misha assured me that I wouldn't break it, and I really couldn't mess it up too badly.
I sat down. I took the runner in my hands and fed it through. And instantly I knew that the loom is where I would love to be. She watched over me for a few minutes, and then slipped away so quietly, I didn't even know she was gone. I concentrated for a few minutes, making sure I did everything right, and then I just let myself fall into the rhythm.
Here's where I'll take my second time out, and tell you about the two visitors that we had in the Artspace. the first was a little girl and her mom. Her mom was showing her all of the things that we did. I had just run out of material, and was wrapping my runner, so instead she watch the smaller loom work. She mushed some of the pulp that was sitting in the bucket and then moved on. The next set of visitors were two women in their fifties. Of course, they made a bee-line straight to me. there's something about working a giant machine that just attracts people to you. I ran a couple lines through with them watching. "What a wonderful skill to have" said one. "Oh yes, and how nice to see a young person working it, instead of an old bat" said the other. They watch a little longer. "How long did it take you to get the feel for doing this?" Asked one. I stopped and looked up at her. Glancing at the clock, I told her that I had just learned today, 45 minutes ago. The woman was astounded. "Oh, how wonderful! How eager to learn! Keep going!" she said. And they moved on.
It has always been my experience that when I am working with yarn, I drift into a kind of trace. I don't even realize what I am doing anymore. It's what I do when I need to work out life's problems, or when I'm feeling upset and frustrated. i found this same inner peace sitting at the loom. After awhile, I began to remember old smells and sounds. And before I knew it, I was taking a mental tour of one of my childhood friend's house. I remembered eating dinner at her table and having sleepovers in her basement. I remember watching TV and crocheting doilies with her mom. I couldn't understand why I was tearing up until I realized that the rug that I was weaving was the same style of rug that had adorned almost every floor in her house. The two of us drifted apart after her mom died of cancer. She got pregnant soon afterwards and now has a beautiful son. Sitting there weaving that rug reminded me of how close we had been and how far apart we had drifted.
Part of me didn't want to leave at four. I finished up the last of the ball of fabric that Misha had rolled and slowly stood. I thanked Misha and walked out onto the street, suddenly so much more aware of life, and all of it's challenges. The obstacles that we face, whether they be the death of a parent or teenage pregnancy. And the people that we trust to help get us through those obstacles, our romantic partners, our family, our friends.
Needless to say, I felt wonderful after walking out of the Working Center on Friday, and I can't wait to go back this week.
So, Friday. One thirty rolls around and I'm trying to convince my mother of all the reasons why I should NOT go.
Reasons like :
1) I'm tired
2) I'm cranky
3) They forgot about me before, who says they won't forget about me now?
4) I don't know what I'm doing
5)It's FRIDAY
But all the same I get in the truck and let my mother drive me downtown. "Drive around the block mom... please? Just in case no one is there again? I don't want to look like an idiot. PLEASE mom?" She just kicked me out.
I trudged my way upstairs, secretly hoping no one would remember my face so that when I came down 10 minutes later they wouldn't laugh. i went upstairs and turned the corner, and instantly my spirits lifted.
There were PEOPLE! Like 6!! I couldn't believe it! At last, I had found my colleagues. At last, I could blend in!! I introduced myself to Misha, who apologized for everything, but by that point, I didn't care. I just wanted to DO what all these other people were doing.
I'm gonna take a time-out here and tell the stories of a few of the people who joined Misha last Friday. Names, as always, will not be mentioned.
The first women that I saw was sitting, working the small loom. She was making a scarf. She spoke little English, but had a brilliant smile and was eager to learn every time Misha asked if she could show her something different.
Two younger women were there as well, making cards. It sounded like they were University students, but I could be wrong. I didn't listen too intently to their conversations.
One of the gentlemen that joined us was cutting and sewing together squares with another woman. He acted as a english-spanish translator between that woman and Misha. They worked quietly and diligently, and by the end of the 2 hours had created a beautiful pattern for a quilt. Another man was there as well, working alongside a woman with a broken shoulder. The woman didn't stay for very long. She was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to get time in home to watch the soaps. "There's gonna be gunfire today!" she told me with a smile, "I can't wait to see who gets it!".
We would have had another volunteer, but the woman came in looking very frazzled. She went up to Misha, and started apologizing over and over for being late. "I forgot to day was a P.A. day for my kids! My sitter couldn't watch them. They're staying with a neighbour right now. I should have called. I'm so sorry I'm late!" Misha sent her home to be with her kids. I couldn't believe the dedication that the woman had, wanting so desperately to help.
Okay, so back to me and Misha. So, I hang my coat up and Misha looks me up and down. this is when the panic sets in for me. I go over everything in my head. I'm pretty sure I've read up on everything. I doubt there will be any curve balls. She looks around the room and then smiles. "Can I teach you to weave?" she asks, and walks over to the giant loom. My jaw dropped to the floor. The only thing that I reserved for the VERY experienced volunteers. The only thing I didn't read up on. I'm pretty sure my mouth was still open as I walked over and nodded. Misha must have noticed (it's kinda hard not to, I have a REALLY big mouth), "It's not hard!" she said.
She gave me a series of directions and a couple of demonstrations. I watched carefully, and kept repeating the patterns in my head so that I would remember. I was so nervous. Misha assured me that I wouldn't break it, and I really couldn't mess it up too badly.
I sat down. I took the runner in my hands and fed it through. And instantly I knew that the loom is where I would love to be. She watched over me for a few minutes, and then slipped away so quietly, I didn't even know she was gone. I concentrated for a few minutes, making sure I did everything right, and then I just let myself fall into the rhythm.
Here's where I'll take my second time out, and tell you about the two visitors that we had in the Artspace. the first was a little girl and her mom. Her mom was showing her all of the things that we did. I had just run out of material, and was wrapping my runner, so instead she watch the smaller loom work. She mushed some of the pulp that was sitting in the bucket and then moved on. The next set of visitors were two women in their fifties. Of course, they made a bee-line straight to me. there's something about working a giant machine that just attracts people to you. I ran a couple lines through with them watching. "What a wonderful skill to have" said one. "Oh yes, and how nice to see a young person working it, instead of an old bat" said the other. They watch a little longer. "How long did it take you to get the feel for doing this?" Asked one. I stopped and looked up at her. Glancing at the clock, I told her that I had just learned today, 45 minutes ago. The woman was astounded. "Oh, how wonderful! How eager to learn! Keep going!" she said. And they moved on.
It has always been my experience that when I am working with yarn, I drift into a kind of trace. I don't even realize what I am doing anymore. It's what I do when I need to work out life's problems, or when I'm feeling upset and frustrated. i found this same inner peace sitting at the loom. After awhile, I began to remember old smells and sounds. And before I knew it, I was taking a mental tour of one of my childhood friend's house. I remembered eating dinner at her table and having sleepovers in her basement. I remember watching TV and crocheting doilies with her mom. I couldn't understand why I was tearing up until I realized that the rug that I was weaving was the same style of rug that had adorned almost every floor in her house. The two of us drifted apart after her mom died of cancer. She got pregnant soon afterwards and now has a beautiful son. Sitting there weaving that rug reminded me of how close we had been and how far apart we had drifted.
Part of me didn't want to leave at four. I finished up the last of the ball of fabric that Misha had rolled and slowly stood. I thanked Misha and walked out onto the street, suddenly so much more aware of life, and all of it's challenges. The obstacles that we face, whether they be the death of a parent or teenage pregnancy. And the people that we trust to help get us through those obstacles, our romantic partners, our family, our friends.
Needless to say, I felt wonderful after walking out of the Working Center on Friday, and I can't wait to go back this week.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
To sleep, or not to sleep, is it even a question?
I'm tired. 'Nuff said.
School is wearing me out really bad, and not just because it's busy, but because I know I'm doing well, so I'm trying very hard to stay motivated to keep doing well. My to-do list is never ending. At times like these, I like to pull out my parent's copy of "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" by Dr. Richard Carlson and repeat chapter six over and over to myself. "When I die, my "in-basket" won't be empty". The unfortunate thing is that I am nowhere ready to die, and so I still worry that I don't have time to be doing all the things that I should be doing with the life that I have to live.
I'm trying very hard to not make excuses for myself, and to go to my Beyond U placement. But as I've mentioned to a few of you readers, I am very upset with the the lack of communication! I know that I need to have some understanding towards the situation. Beyond U is a pilot program, and as such, it will hit bumps. But at the same time, I think I'm using it as an excuse to stay as far away as I can from the Working Center.
However, I know that I will do my very best to come in tomorrow (which is really today... but I haven't slept yet, so I'm going to count it as tomorrow) with a positive attitude, and with my heart in the right place. I really hope it works out this time!
Keeping you posted!
P.S. ... I looked up how to make homemade soaps. My blessings to the man who created this site http://www.millersoap.com/. What creativity and knowledge! Thank you for sharing!
School is wearing me out really bad, and not just because it's busy, but because I know I'm doing well, so I'm trying very hard to stay motivated to keep doing well. My to-do list is never ending. At times like these, I like to pull out my parent's copy of "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" by Dr. Richard Carlson and repeat chapter six over and over to myself. "When I die, my "in-basket" won't be empty". The unfortunate thing is that I am nowhere ready to die, and so I still worry that I don't have time to be doing all the things that I should be doing with the life that I have to live.
I'm trying very hard to not make excuses for myself, and to go to my Beyond U placement. But as I've mentioned to a few of you readers, I am very upset with the the lack of communication! I know that I need to have some understanding towards the situation. Beyond U is a pilot program, and as such, it will hit bumps. But at the same time, I think I'm using it as an excuse to stay as far away as I can from the Working Center.
However, I know that I will do my very best to come in tomorrow (which is really today... but I haven't slept yet, so I'm going to count it as tomorrow) with a positive attitude, and with my heart in the right place. I really hope it works out this time!
Keeping you posted!
P.S. ... I looked up how to make homemade soaps. My blessings to the man who created this site http://www.millersoap.com/. What creativity and knowledge! Thank you for sharing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)