I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day, which made me think about an earlier blog post I wrote, "The Value of Authenticity in Relationships." My friend and I have known each other for a number of years, and we have tried to be authentic with each other.   While I thought we were close, recent events happened that pushed us awayfrom each other and made us only discuss superficial topics.  My friend then brought up how I was a "frustrating friend," as I only talked about superficial topics; so, the friend had lost interest in our friendship. We were both going through hardships, yet we did not share with each other.  This example shows that it is even hard to reach out to share with your friends. 

I heard Natasha Bedingfield's  song "Strip Me" on the radio the other day and had to share.  Such an important message:

"I'M ONLY ONE VOICE IN A MILLION BUT YOU AIN'T TAKING THAT FROM ME!"

We all grieve in different ways.  I'm turning to writing to express the thoughts that are in my head right now.

I just came home from taking our family cat, Comet to the vet.  She usually loves to eat and will come running whenever you put kibble in her bowl.  Also, she constantly would wake us up by either bunting our face or slightly nibbling our hair when she wanted to wake us up at night to give her a midnight/early morning snack.  Well, when she wouldn't eat and would sniff her favourite foods and walk away; we knew something was up.

The dream starts out with a University Crew Women’s Eight at the starting line competing in a 6k race against three other boats.  The boat begins the course with eight rowers and one coxie.

At the starting gate, one of the athletes focused on how she was treated rudely by one coach and overlooked by the others because of her abilities. Suddenly, she - including her seat and her oar -disappeared from the boat!

The other athletes decide they would continue the race without her, since they had worked so hard during the season.  The race started off really well. Then at the the 5,900 metre mark, there is an equipment failure where one of the oarlocks breaks.  The athlete who’s oarlock broke doesn’t know what to do, and stops rowing. Then “poof”, the second athlete disappears.

The young adults in our society today are so transient.  We are constantly moving to attend schools, work, or just for a change.  This scene rings all too familiar with me; since leaving high school, I have had many new beginnings and endings with cities, schools, and work.  I have loved every one though, as I love meeting new people and learning their stories.  It is hard being new in an environment that is already settled.  It is even harder and almost impossible to break into an area when the people of the new place are resistant to change and are unwelcoming in their approach to meeting new people.  Therefore, you have to be persistent and it takes a lot of strength to attend a new setting.  It is hard work, and some people give up.

Does convenience come with a price? These days you really don't have to do much exercise if you don't want to.  You can have almost anything delivered to your house (i.e. food and supplies).  Also, if you commute to a desk job or are a student there is a lot of sitting involved there too.  Think about it, many individuals get up and take either the bus or drive to school/work, they then sit in lecture or at a computer doing their work. Then they come home.  The setup isn't designed to include much physical activity.  There is so much sitting that researchers have labelled in the "Sitting Disease".

Communication methods have changed over the 21st century.  In the previous century, people would send letters, place telephone calls on land lines, or talk to each other in person.  While these methods are still used today, the internet has changed the manner and the speed in which individuals communicate with one another.  For example, most Canadian families and individual’s have a personalized computer and access to the internet (Gross, 2004; Valkenburg & Peter, 2007).  When the internet first became popular, people would send e-mails as their main form of communication. Presently, however, the internet has become the status quo in all social settings; with emailing, instant messaging, and online networking sites (e.g., Facebook) being used as standard modes of communication.

I love to write, and thought I would share what has been going on in my heart over the past week.  I went to visit my grandparents, and my grandpa told me how my grandma had been leaving pots on the stove and forgetting they were on.  The fire department recently came to their house, as one of the pots set off the fire alarm.  She has been diagnosed with Alzheimers, and the family is debating whether she should go into long-term care. It is such a hard decision to make.  Putting her in long-term care means that she would have to leave her home of almost sixty years.

I was looking for something this morning and I found a portfolio that I made for my grade nine Skills for Success class.  The teacher had asked us to put in the portfolio written work from each of your classes. I found this essay I wrote for my grade nine English class and I had to share as she still inspires me to not give up.

A hero is a man or woman admired for achievements and noble qualities. The following essay is about Silken Laumann.  This essay will discuss how Silken's been recognized as a sports hero, how she was able to change society by her special characteristics, and how she fits the the definition of a hero.

It seems the topic of finding love on Online Dating Sites is a popular topic in our society today.  Personally, I know many people who have found "love" or are currently using sites to find "the one".  Congrats to them. I have mixed views on the topic, and since I am not a user of such online dating sites, I am simply going through others' experience using the sites. I think these sites are good to meet people who you would consider dating, but I think the real test occurs after you meet the individual in person.  I know of many couples who found each other in person, but who would probably not be matched together if they had used a dating site.

I just finished watching 'Brene Brown: The Power of Vulnerability" on Ted Talks.  She said things that really resonated with me and how I think people should live their lives. Watch it!

When you are introduced to someone, have you ever noticed that the most common phrases are always about your job and the role you play in society? For example, as a child/teenager you will be asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or as an adult, “What do you do for a living?", or as a student, "What are you studying?”  It seems the occupation label primarily defines who you are. However, if you meet two doctors,  for example, they share the label their job entails; but, their personal lives will be far from identical.