Amidst tragedy there is hope. I do believe that. I want to believe that. However, this mindset is difficult for me at times when I see stories like this involving the teenagers in our community. This stabbing took place near the public high school where I graduated. It is at good neighbourhood. This incident, murder actually, rattled our community. No longer are high school fights with just fists. They usually involve weapons of some kind. Why are so many young people today filled with so much anger. I deal with this anger on a regular basis in my job. It saddens me. It frustrates me. I see apathy. I see disrespect. I see deep hurt. I see fear. Even so, I do see a refreshing honesty. I can get bogged down and overwhelmed with the negative side of what I experience in my job and forget the teenagers who are making a difference.
It was a rough week. Yet, I was so encouraged and blessed by the following email I received from one of my former students at GCC, a private university preparatory high school:
"Hello Miss W.!
It is so good to hear from you. I just have to tell you that I still think about how much you made my time at GCC better. I am so grateful for you driving me to church on Sundays and really reaching out to all of us girls back in High School. You made my time at GCC so much better! Thank you!
I am still living in California.. . I have been working as a high school teacher for two boys who are professional surfers and due to their travel schedules cannot attend a traditional school (yes, they have a rough life -eh?). It is a great job and my students are very nice. ..
I just love Face Book - it is so fun to get connected with people from years past! Thank you once again for everything you did for all of us girls at GCC. I can't imagine how different my first experience living away from home would have been, if it were not for your kindness!"
There is hope amidst tragedy. I pray this generation of teenagers will make it safely to the other side unscathed.
Wednesday 31 March 2010
Saturday 27 March 2010
Is this part of my job description?
The following is an excerpt from my Facebook status last Thursday:
"K.W. is wondering if it is in her job description to warn of impending physical doom due to certain wardrobe malfunctions! hehehehe! Nah! I'll let them figure that one out on their own!"
Is anyone curious of the story behind my status?! I felt like some secret agent writing in a secret code so as to not give too many details away in a public place where my co-workers lurk! I wasn't sure how much information I could share on FB but wanted to tell the story here on my own blog.The person in question was the female student who dropped the "F-bomb" on me here. (Just in case you were wondering, she has settled down and is actually asking for my help again!)
Are there things you know now that you wish you knew back when you were a teenager? Things that would have made your life easier? For me, yes. Would it have made any difference though? I think part of the rite of passage of adolescence is learning things the hard way!
Let me tell you I was so tempted to impart my "wisdom" to my "F-bomb" student on Thursday afternoon when I walked into her class. I noticed she was wearing a tank top that revealed just a bit too much, with very little support! We do have a dress code at school but obviously no one approached her about her inappropriate dress. I'm sure they were dealing with other pressing matters! A thought crossed my mind as I was helping this young girl with her math. Do I dare give her this piece of advice that will MOST definitely be advantageous when she gets to be my age?! She will thank me! I wanted to whisper in her ear, " you need to buy a better bra honey, one that will support you more fully than the what you are barely wearing now. Gravity kicks in at my age and things change forever. There's on turning back. But you can do something about it NOW!" However, I exhibited restraint and bit my tongue. I didn't want her to" give me the finger" again! She will have to learn the hard way, just like me!
At least there are some of my students who appreciate my words of wisdom. One boy in grade 8 told me on Friday, "Miss W., I tell you things I don't even tell my parents or other people." I chuckled to myself because I'm not exactly sure what "things" he is referring to. He hasn't revealed any deep dark secrets to my knowledge! He does however like to go "off on tangents" when he is supposed to be doing his math. On Friday he asked me about drugs! I told him after he completed his math, I would answer a couple of his questions. There is never a dull moment. All part of the job! It truly is a privilege to be part of the team that is equipping these young students for their future endeavours.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Tutoring for the technically challenged individual
Look at this adorable 2 year old I encountered at church on Sunday night while rehearsing with our band. I couldn't believe he knew his way around this...
... Yup, an iPod touch! This two year old who can barely form sentences I understand actually taught me, a technically challenged older young woman, how to use this device! It was priceless. And look how adorable he is with his snazzy headphones! I think he should start his own business for the technically challenged!
... Yup, an iPod touch! This two year old who can barely form sentences I understand actually taught me, a technically challenged older young woman, how to use this device! It was priceless. And look how adorable he is with his snazzy headphones! I think he should start his own business for the technically challenged!
Saturday 20 March 2010
Friday 19 March 2010
Top 'O the Mornin' to Ye!
Some of the pics of my St. Paddy's Day party! We left the hubby's and kids at home! We were also celebrating Jenn's birthday!
Our green gingerale. I put neon green food colouring in the gingerale!
Our "shots" of Bailey's! 
Time for the hot tub...I was the only one brave enough to have her photo taken!
Thursday 18 March 2010
An Ogre I am not!
The bathroom of the dental office in Kingston, ON, July 2009People say the stupidest things. Stupid isn't really a refined word in my opinion but it is appropriate in this case. Don't they remember mama's invaluable instruction when we were youngsters ready to tackle the world, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say it at all." Quite regularly I get asked, "what is wrong with you, why aren't you married?" A very stupid question in my opinion. What do they expect me to say? "I'm really an Ogre underneath these clothes? The other day was no exception. I was driving a Community Care client to her doctor when she kept drilling me as to why I am still single. She tried every angle and wouldn't shut up. But being the polite Canadian that I am, I just smiled and said, "I have NO idea." I do believe most people mean well, but it is not a question you should be asking. It makes me feel like some kind of failure, which I AM NOT. What stupid questions have you been asked?
Wednesday 17 March 2010
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
"May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience, and enough coins in your pocket to buy a loaf of bread."
"May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far."
"May I see you grey and combing your grand children's hair."
"May your morning bring joy and your evenings bring peace, may your troubles grow less as your blessing increase!"
"May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold-And at the end of all your rainbows, may you find a pot of gold (how about an Ulster Fry instead)!"
I am hosting a wee St. Paddy's Day party tonight. Looking forward to good friends, good food, good Bailey's, good craic, lots of laughter and hot-tubbing!
Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day holiday my fellow Northern Irish family, friends and descendants. And cheers to my other friends who will be celebrating!
Sunday 14 March 2010
eternal youth
That's me, a youthful, 19 year old in Pisa, Italy, December 1986, eating bread, cheese and wine on the steps of the "Leaning Tower of Pisa."I love people watching. I also love eavesdropping in on the conversations of strangers. Last night was no exception.
I took the GO Train into Toronto to see my friend perform in the "Latin American Music Ensemble" at Uof T's Faculty of Music. As usual, I had quite the adventure on the train.
Sitting behind me were a group of rambunctious teenage boys excited about their trip to the motor cross event at the Skydome , which is now called "The Rogers Centre." But I prefer to use the original name because it describes the unique domed stadium.
Anyways, I had no problem tuning into their gossip. No surprise it centered around farting and sex. I was most interested in one lad's dilemma with his girlfriend. He seemed quite upset, even seemingly remorseful, over the fact she was mad at him. I thought to myself, "wow, this guy has a sensitive side." My assumptions were farther from the truth. His words, " yea, her being mad at me last night meant I didn't get laid," told the whole story!
He continued to deliberate the liabilities of unprotected sex speaking at length about abortion. This topic sparked a naive (in my opinion) dialogue amongst the lads which went something like this:
Lad 1: "My girlfriend and I are prepared. But, if she gets pregnant it is free to have an abortion anyways."
Lad 2: " No it's not free."
Lad 1 and Lad 3: "Yes it is."
Lad 4: "No, it costs $70."
Lad2: " That is only if you have a health card." (my thought here: doesn't everyone, especially these teenage boys living at home and in Ontario have a health card)
Lad 2: " It costs $300 without a health card."
Lad 1&3: " S. had an abortion in Toronto last week and she's okay."
The conversation quickly switched to another topic.
Ah, *sigh* the life- and mind- of adolescent males!
On my way home, I had equally exciting conversations going on around me. A 60 year old drunk, polite, special needs man was discussing with his buddy about this "cougar who hit on him tonight!" She must have been like 80 years old! The entire train car got a play by play.
Then, a drunk 50 year old had the entire train car singing Chicago tunes! But I wasn't interested in these conversations.
Why you ask.
I was busy catching the eye of the train ambassador. He was sooo cute and kept staring at me. We kept making eye contact. Eventually we spoke snippets of wisdom to each other. I thought he was flirting with me!
Once again, my assumptions were farther from the truth! Just as I was about to exit the train at my stop, he spoke to me in his deep, sexy voice,
" you remind me of a former high school teacher of mine. She was great and I loved her."
WHHAAAATTT!
I thought he was going to ask for my phone number! I thought I still looked young enough for this hot, train ambassador to hit on me. What a fool I am! Cougar I am not! Maybe I should have made eye contact with the 60 year old drunk special needs man! I chuckled to myself, and told him I actually work in the education sector as a Teacher's Assistant (Educational Assistant is my formal title). He thought that was great! At that instant, we bid each other farewell.
In my mind, I still feel I am basking in the glory of the fountain of eternal youth and that is what matters!
I took the GO Train into Toronto to see my friend perform in the "Latin American Music Ensemble" at Uof T's Faculty of Music. As usual, I had quite the adventure on the train.
Sitting behind me were a group of rambunctious teenage boys excited about their trip to the motor cross event at the Skydome , which is now called "The Rogers Centre." But I prefer to use the original name because it describes the unique domed stadium.
Anyways, I had no problem tuning into their gossip. No surprise it centered around farting and sex. I was most interested in one lad's dilemma with his girlfriend. He seemed quite upset, even seemingly remorseful, over the fact she was mad at him. I thought to myself, "wow, this guy has a sensitive side." My assumptions were farther from the truth. His words, " yea, her being mad at me last night meant I didn't get laid," told the whole story!
He continued to deliberate the liabilities of unprotected sex speaking at length about abortion. This topic sparked a naive (in my opinion) dialogue amongst the lads which went something like this:
Lad 1: "My girlfriend and I are prepared. But, if she gets pregnant it is free to have an abortion anyways."
Lad 2: " No it's not free."
Lad 1 and Lad 3: "Yes it is."
Lad 4: "No, it costs $70."
Lad2: " That is only if you have a health card." (my thought here: doesn't everyone, especially these teenage boys living at home and in Ontario have a health card)
Lad 2: " It costs $300 without a health card."
Lad 1&3: " S. had an abortion in Toronto last week and she's okay."
The conversation quickly switched to another topic.
Ah, *sigh* the life- and mind- of adolescent males!
On my way home, I had equally exciting conversations going on around me. A 60 year old drunk, polite, special needs man was discussing with his buddy about this "cougar who hit on him tonight!" She must have been like 80 years old! The entire train car got a play by play.
Then, a drunk 50 year old had the entire train car singing Chicago tunes! But I wasn't interested in these conversations.
Why you ask.
I was busy catching the eye of the train ambassador. He was sooo cute and kept staring at me. We kept making eye contact. Eventually we spoke snippets of wisdom to each other. I thought he was flirting with me!
Once again, my assumptions were farther from the truth! Just as I was about to exit the train at my stop, he spoke to me in his deep, sexy voice,
" you remind me of a former high school teacher of mine. She was great and I loved her."
WHHAAAATTT!
I thought he was going to ask for my phone number! I thought I still looked young enough for this hot, train ambassador to hit on me. What a fool I am! Cougar I am not! Maybe I should have made eye contact with the 60 year old drunk special needs man! I chuckled to myself, and told him I actually work in the education sector as a Teacher's Assistant (Educational Assistant is my formal title). He thought that was great! At that instant, we bid each other farewell.
In my mind, I still feel I am basking in the glory of the fountain of eternal youth and that is what matters!
Saturday 13 March 2010
you've heard of hockey moms, well here we have ...
...baby chick moms.
true story. fighting, pushing, shoving, cussing, complaining to the manager. all in an effort to get their child another turn holding the baby chicks. it doesn't matter about rules apparently. only one turn per child is what the rule states. but these parents all think their child is a star and deserves a second turn, even though there is a mile- long -line- up out the door anxiously awaiting to see the baby chicks. this brings up another thought. have we been so affected by "urban sprawl" that we have to rely on a visit to a country store in order to see rural animals?
(sadly, the answer is yes. more and more farms are being sold to developers -or farmers are being forced off their land in order for more highways to be built- who in turn cut down the forests, bulldoze the farms and build big box stores and poorly made homes on prime farming land. we have confused wildlife and a confused eco-system here in southern ontario. but i digress as this was not the point of my blog!)
my friend's daughter, Halle, works at this country store and is one of the "chick" workers. unfortunately, she is also one of the recipients of some of the nasty behaviour of these "baby chick moms." she is a hard worker and is absolutely lovely. she is friendly and polite and is now going crazy because of these crazy moms. thankfully she continues to put into practice the number one rule of customer service, "the customer is always right!" She even continues to smile amidst the verbal abuse bestowed upon her each shift.
my mom and I decided to pay her a visit in order to offer our support. and I must confess, I wanted to see the baby chicks too. oh yes, and I was hoping to see one of those feisty "baby chick moms!"
no such luck. it turned out my mom and I were the only ones visiting the chicks at this time of day. good thing because I may have had a few choice words to say to them. I would have been polite! I have to defend my sweet Halle, who is like a daughter to me. we did enjoy holding the baby chicks ( actually isn't the term" baby chicks" an oxymoron? oh well, I am not going to go back and change a thing)!
lesson learned: beware of the crazy "baby chick moms" out there!
true story. fighting, pushing, shoving, cussing, complaining to the manager. all in an effort to get their child another turn holding the baby chicks. it doesn't matter about rules apparently. only one turn per child is what the rule states. but these parents all think their child is a star and deserves a second turn, even though there is a mile- long -line- up out the door anxiously awaiting to see the baby chicks. this brings up another thought. have we been so affected by "urban sprawl" that we have to rely on a visit to a country store in order to see rural animals?
(sadly, the answer is yes. more and more farms are being sold to developers -or farmers are being forced off their land in order for more highways to be built- who in turn cut down the forests, bulldoze the farms and build big box stores and poorly made homes on prime farming land. we have confused wildlife and a confused eco-system here in southern ontario. but i digress as this was not the point of my blog!)
my friend's daughter, Halle, works at this country store and is one of the "chick" workers. unfortunately, she is also one of the recipients of some of the nasty behaviour of these "baby chick moms." she is a hard worker and is absolutely lovely. she is friendly and polite and is now going crazy because of these crazy moms. thankfully she continues to put into practice the number one rule of customer service, "the customer is always right!" She even continues to smile amidst the verbal abuse bestowed upon her each shift.
my mom and I decided to pay her a visit in order to offer our support. and I must confess, I wanted to see the baby chicks too. oh yes, and I was hoping to see one of those feisty "baby chick moms!"
no such luck. it turned out my mom and I were the only ones visiting the chicks at this time of day. good thing because I may have had a few choice words to say to them. I would have been polite! I have to defend my sweet Halle, who is like a daughter to me. we did enjoy holding the baby chicks ( actually isn't the term" baby chicks" an oxymoron? oh well, I am not going to go back and change a thing)!lesson learned: beware of the crazy "baby chick moms" out there!
Saturday 6 March 2010
The "F" Bomb
It was a first for me. Never in the history of my professional career working with teenagers - that would be 18 wonderful years- has this word been uttered AT me. Sadly, one of our new students in grade 8 (13 years old) not only uttered profanity AT me but also gave me the finger yesterday. She was suspended- for the second time. She has only been at our school for 1 1/2 weeks. Unbelievable. This young woman has many other issues going on in her life. My heart is sad. To be so broken at such a young age is unfathomable. I recovered from the "F" bomb and the "F" finger! But, I can't help wonder if she will ever recover from the deep brokenness sucking the life out of her right now. I hope so.
Living out my Golden Years with...
I'm excited to show you the face of my future caretaker in my "golden years!" Thankfully there are good souls out there who actually like me! Remember this story I shared about a couple of my students:
"Later on that morning, this same student and another boy were discussing how old they would be when they graduated from university as doctors. "D" looked over at me and affirmed, "Miss W., you will be REAL old when I graduate. I can be your doctor!" "T" pipes up and pronounces in a tender voice, "Miss W., I'm sure when I'm married my wife won't mind...but you can come live with us and we will take care of you in your old age!" Isn't that just the sweetest thing ever! This boy comes from a rough background. His mother is a drug addict. His oldest half brother is in jail. He and his siblings live with their dad now. It is a good thing. They come disheveled to school everyday but they work hard and are sweet. I just may take this boy up on his offer!"
Without further adieu, here is "T" :
"T" and his dad gave me permission to take his photo and post these stories for you my blog- readers. I am grateful. "T" was actually having a good hair day when I captured this shot. Shucks! He may be small in stature, but he has a BIG heart! I will miss him when he moves onto to high school in September but look forward to my "golden years!"
"Later on that morning, this same student and another boy were discussing how old they would be when they graduated from university as doctors. "D" looked over at me and affirmed, "Miss W., you will be REAL old when I graduate. I can be your doctor!" "T" pipes up and pronounces in a tender voice, "Miss W., I'm sure when I'm married my wife won't mind...but you can come live with us and we will take care of you in your old age!" Isn't that just the sweetest thing ever! This boy comes from a rough background. His mother is a drug addict. His oldest half brother is in jail. He and his siblings live with their dad now. It is a good thing. They come disheveled to school everyday but they work hard and are sweet. I just may take this boy up on his offer!"
Without further adieu, here is "T" :
"T" and his dad gave me permission to take his photo and post these stories for you my blog- readers. I am grateful. "T" was actually having a good hair day when I captured this shot. Shucks! He may be small in stature, but he has a BIG heart! I will miss him when he moves onto to high school in September but look forward to my "golden years!"
Monday 1 March 2010
Only in Canada, eh?!
With the close of the 2010 Winter Olympics, I observed a few things that were typically "Canadian." Here is my list:
Only in Canada...
... with a population of over 35 million people and approximately one quarter of those 35 mill. speaking French as their first language, do we make all Olympic announcements in French first. Come on Canada, the people of the world are going to think we are all fluent in French. They will be disappointed to discover most of us dropped out of French class in our first year of high school. However, they may be suspicious when they heard the CEO of the Winter Games give his closing speech. No offense, but the poor guy slaughtered the french language. Yikes! Don't get me wrong, I like french and I like the french speaking people of this great country. The fact that I persevered through high school french class until I graduated reaped its reward when I travelled to Paris a couple of years ago. I was thrilled I could carry on somewhat decent conversations with the Parisians. However, I think it was ridiculous that they made all the announcements in French first at the Winter Games. What was up with that, eh?!
... with a population of over 35 million people and approximately one quarter of those 35 mill. speaking French as their first language, do we make all Olympic announcements in French first. Come on Canada, the people of the world are going to think we are all fluent in French. They will be disappointed to discover most of us dropped out of French class in our first year of high school. However, they may be suspicious when they heard the CEO of the Winter Games give his closing speech. No offense, but the poor guy slaughtered the french language. Yikes! Don't get me wrong, I like french and I like the french speaking people of this great country. The fact that I persevered through high school french class until I graduated reaped its reward when I travelled to Paris a couple of years ago. I was thrilled I could carry on somewhat decent conversations with the Parisians. However, I think it was ridiculous that they made all the announcements in French first at the Winter Games. What was up with that, eh?!
... does a gold medal win of a hockey game between Canada and the U.S. of A. unite a country in a way like no other. Millions of people took to the streets in every major city of this great country screaming, cheering, partying. The excitement was contagious. I was at church last night and watched the game on the sound board screen until overtime. Then, right before the service started someone told us Canada had won and we all went crazy- in church- go figure, eh?! ( By the way, I wore my Canadian colours, gold medal necklace, and Canadian fleece jacket, which was handmade by the Inuit. Patriotic wasn't it eh?!)
Only in Canada...
... does the excitement of the new "Roll up the Rim" contest at Tim Horton's overshadow the close of the Olympics! We need something to help us live through the rest of the cold winter, eh?!
Only in Canada...
...do we get incredibly excited about the thermometer rising to +8C on a glorious, sunny, winter weekend. It's almost sunbathing weather. Imagine that, eh?!
Only in Canada, eh
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