During the transition from junior high to high school, my principal emphasized the need to “keep your doors open.” When my mom heard this phrase, she glommed on pretty quickly. (Side note: Microsoft Office seems to agree that “glommed” is actually a word, and I’m a bit surprised.) Our principal wanted us – for example …
A rainy day seems as good a time as any to finish off this blog post that I started a couple of weeks ago after visiting Fort McMurray for the first time since the devastating wildfire of May 2016. I grew up in the boreal forest, and past trips to Fort McMurray often reminded me …
The first time someone told me I was introducing myself incorrectly was several years ago. Coworkers and I spent a learning day with Elder Casey Eagle Speaker, and we didn’t get far into the morning before our first lesson. As we attempted to introduce ourselves, he interrupted us. Eventually, he said something to the effect …
A couple weeks ago, I noticed several thousand extra dollars in my bank account. For a split second, I thought maybe there’d been a happy accident, and wondered about ways to ethically keep the money. Then I realized it was actually mine, from the sale of my condo. I’d been so consumed with the hateful …
I’ve never voted for the NDP before, but I will in this election. That might turn some of you off, but bear with me for a minute. I said in my last post* that I wasn’t feeling brave enough to write about the Alberta election scheduled for April 16. Maybe you’re wondering: what’s to be …
Continue reading 3 things that confuse me about the Alberta election
My grandma likes to talk. In our society, we often gather together for birthdays, funerals, weddings, graduations, and so on. It feels nice to celebrate the good times together and to offer comfort during the hard times. But my grandma lives by that philosophy every day, not just the milestone moments. She's not from a …
I didn’t realize how important my job was to my identity until I changed jobs in 2015. And I’m still a bit embarrassed about that. After all, it’s a person’s character, values, and interests that are important — not their job…right? For a little more than a decade, I worked in corporate communications, and for …
Earlier in the year, I was in a class where discussion turned to a sensitive topic. As various Canadians’ views of the issue were dissected, I saw one of my classmates become upset. I asked her during the class break if she wanted to talk. Her family lives in a similar region of the country …
One month ago today, I received a Master of Social Work degree. On November 16, my classmates and I donned gowns with very strange sleeves (they’re more like tails or wings), and walked across a stage to shake hands with some university VIPs that most of us had never met. Despite these bits of ceremonial …
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