Philosophy

On stuff.

“I am what is mine. Personality is the original personal property.” – Norman O. Brown

Ok, so I’m going to start off by saying that no, I have not watched the Netflix show Tidying Up, nor have I read anything by Marie Kondo. It has, however, been the topic of conversation in my staff room and every social media platform. Watching everyone talk or document their decluttering has inspired me, despite the fact that cleaning my house gives me anxiety. This is the main reason why I haven’t brought myself to watch the show.

My house is filled with stuff – mainly vinyl records, books, and clothes. And while this stuff does end up making areas of my house look cluttered, I find that it helps assert my identity. When someone walks into my house, they can easily observe that I have a passion for music, art, and travel through the variety of collections of books and records I have on display. A lot of these items have memories attached to them, therefore making them more meaningful than just average trinkets. I’m definitely not a hoarder, but I would describe myself and my husband as collectors. This does, however, make it a lot more difficult for us to clean up, even if there are items collecting dust that no longer have a purpose like broken laptops or books I never really connected with.

I guess with me, it’s more about organizing than throwing things away. I tend to put things in piles or a junk room with the mentality ‘out of sight, out of mind’. But once I do set time aside to tackle a mess, when in doubt, I just need to throw it out. This has actually proven to be a lot more difficult for my husband than me. Everything we own just seems to have some kind of personal connection that makes it difficult to let go of. The same thing can also be said about my classroom. I just have so many books, binders, and posters, all of which I think hold some kind of importance to my teaching or make my classroom an extension of my personality.

Though it is important to declutter, I could never be a minimalist because the stuff in my house defines me. I think empty houses stress me out more than ones filled with stuff. For me, houses like this have no personality, are sterile, and feel more like a hotel than a home. When I’m gone, my stuff will no longer matter, so while I’m alive I want to enjoy the stuff that I have.

Philosophy

On Friendship.

“One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” – Euripides

My first memories of friendship aren’t really memories, but photographs taken when I was very young. I can picture the photo in my head – my friend Julianna and I are about 2 years old, standing upright, buck naked in a kiddy pool. To me, these pictures are evidence of a friendship that would continue for a very long time. Along with our other friend Sara, we became inseparable – the 3 Amigos, the 3 Musketeers. I guess it was a tradition since our grandparents and parents were friends! Growing up with these two friends was always an adventure. We loved to pretend we were mermaids in the swimming pool, invented games like pool baseball, and created barbie fashion shows, went camping, and tortured family members by dragging them to N’Sync concerts. We were also budding filmmakers, making music videos and creating stories using Barbies. Sometimes we got so creative, we would put Ken’s head on Skipper’s body!

As we grew up, went to high school, and university, we didn’t have to see each other every day like we did when we were younger, to know that our friendship was still strong. We became sure of ourselves and who we wanted to be, and as a result we are different in many ways, but I knew I could always count on them to be by my side. For me, this is what friendship is all about. At 33, I don’t have many close friends. I spend most of my time with my husband, and together we have a very small circle of friends. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing because as Aristotle once said, “A friend to all is a friend to none.” In the age of social media, it’s all about how many ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ you have, but how important are those thousands of people on your lists? I think it is far better to have a smaller group of close friends because the bonds are tighter. These are people I can rely on and trust no matter what. They know me very well, and I know them. Nothing about our relationship is superficial.

When you’re young, it’s easy to find new friends. But when you’re older, your interests become much more specific as you learn to better understand yourself. As an adult, I think friendship is based more on shared values than interests. It’s also about support and understanding. It’s a cliche, but friends are very much like the family you choose. You really don’t have to see them all the time to know that they care for you. So this Valentine’s Day, extend the idea of love beyond that of a significant other to your friends, old and new. Embrace the love you have for each other and celebrate all the positive relationships in your life!

Philosophy

On Photographs.

“The photograph itself doesn’t interest me. I want only to capture a minute part of reality.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson

Ever since I was a child, I remember looking through family photo albums and being fascinated by pictures of my younger parents, grandparents, my sisters, and even myself. I can even recall the exact location in our house where the albums were stored – in the side table between the couch and fireplace in our basement. This is such a vivid memory for me because it was something I continued enjoy doing throughout my childhood. I never got bored of looking at the same photographs over and over again. The same could still be said for me today, but in addition to just looking at photographs, I love taking them. My computer and hard-drive backups exceed 40,000 photos. You might say that it’s a bit of an obsession. At every moment I had a camera with me, documenting my life and experiences. Digital technology has luckily made this much easier for me. While most of my photographs are stored on my computer, I have created several photo albums of our travels. These albums become my favourite and most treasured souvenirs from our vacations.

So why is photography so important for me? I think it relates to the fact that I’m a history teacher and obviously have a great appreciation for the past. Photographs are examples of primary evidence, and help reveal so many things about a time period to the person viewing them. When I looked at the family photos it felt like I was being transported back into the past. The photographs are memories froze in time. Even if I didn’t remember the picture being taken, looking at the younger version of myself allowed me to feel as if I did.

Some people may think it’s weird that I post so many pictures of myself, or even get the feeling that I’m egotistical, but that is far from the truth. I see my blog as a scrapbook or an online photo album of my life. It isn’t just photography as an art form, but as a way to preserve who I was at certain place in time. After I am gone, the photographs will still remain. It’s as if I can become immortal through the pictures. And it feels that way when I look at photos of my loved ones who have passed. The memory in my mind unfortunately fades, but the photos I have bring them back to life. I’m definitely fortunate to have a husband who loves photography as much as me. He too loves to capture the moment, and has a great eye for framing a photograph. It could also possibly be one of the reasons why I have continued to be passionate about photography today.

Now, the question remains, will future generations see the same value in photographs when there are so many of them today? Part of what made the old pictures I had special was the fact there were so few of them. And unfortunately, at times I feels as if apps like Instagram devalue photographs making them seem almost unimportant. We scroll so quickly through a feed that we don’t always appreciate the story that is being told in the pictures.

In the end, it’s important that we still remember to live in the moment and to not be too focused on taking the perfect photograph, but there is something magical about having that picture in the end.

Philosophy

On Tattoos.

“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” – George Bernard Shaw

Ever since I was in high school I wanted a tattoo. My sister got her first one when she was 18, and soon after gave me some good advice. She told me to print a picture of what I would want, and tape it onto the mirror in my bedroom. If I look in the mirror every day and not get tired of it, then the design is meant to be. I’m glad I followed her advice and didn’t jump the gun, because the picture I originally put on my mirror was of a Celtic cross. I would have definitely regretted getting that tattoo because it represents nothing of what I am today. But in the years that followed, I never got a tattoo. Though I would watch shows like Miami Ink constantly, I kept putting it off because of my fear of needles and the general permanency of them. This, however, changed when I turned 30. I kept thinking about it more and more, as I was only getting older, and would often find myself being open to receiving words of encouragement from my sister, friends, and acquaintances. But I still felt a sense of apprehension.

This summer I decided that enough was enough, and I should just do it. After seeing a friend’s new tattoo, I started exploring different artists via Instagram. It was after endless scrolling that I saw something that spoke to me. The artist, CJ, based at Chronic Ink in Toronto, specializes in floral tattoos. I have never seen such feminine and delicate tattoos in my life. Without much hesitation, I booked an appointment. We had a phone consultation since I’m an out of town client, and I shared my idea of a peony and poppy on my inner forearm. I chose these two flowers because of what they represent; the peony symbolizes good health and fortune (in other words, a good life), and the poppy symbolizes death. Together they encapsulate my philosophical interests: life and death.

I’m not going to lie, I was super nervous about the tattooing experience. I HATE needles. But I am pleased to report that it really isn’t as painful as I anticipated. The artist really put me at ease, as did Brandon, who sat next to me the entire time. I would describe the feeling as a vibrating scratch with a bit of a burn. It did help, however, listening to music and closing my eyes. Brandon kept suggesting I look as the artist was tattooing me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The tattooing took a little over two hours, with the outline done first, followed by the shading. When it was finished I was in absolute awe of how it looked. It was everything I imagined it to be and more!

For me, tattoos are about decorating your body with art – art that is symbolic of a particular moment in your life. My tattoo is now a permanent reminder of who I was when I got it, and it is also now part of my identity. I didn’t consider what my students would think or what I’d look like with it when I’m older, because for me, it doesn’t really matter. Getting this tattoo was one of the most independent decisions I have made, doing it for myself and no one else. More than ever, I felt I was taking complete ownership of my body. Whether a tattoo is meaningful or not, it still serves as a testament. Though I’ve only had the tattoo for a few weeks, it feels like it has always been a part of me. After all, I was only thinking about it for over 15 years!

Philosophy, Travel

Year in Review.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca

2018 has been a very exciting and busy year both professionally and personally, and as with any other year, it had its ups and downs. What I learned though, was that I have to preserve, not give up, and continuously remind myself that not everything can always work out, so it’s best to remain positive. Losing my philosophy course was a huge blow, but there are so many other things that happened in my life that can be celebrated. For one, I was able to travel serveral times throughout the year. From Toronto, to the beaches of Miami, to a school trip to Montreal, to the amazing adventure we had in Portugal, I am so fortunate to have these incredible experiences. I also was able to see my students gain strength and compete in powerlifting competitions, which was very rewarding. I’ve also become a little more introspective about social media’s role in my life. 2018 was a year that reminded me who I am and it ultimately allowed me to be more confident in myself.

What will 2019 bring? That remains a mystery. But for now, I hope that I will continue to remind myself the importance of self love, and to share happiness with those around me. As for the blog, I’m going to focus more on philosophy and my writing, with a dash of fashion. I think this change is best for me, as it will truly reflect my individuality and thoughts. New year, but not an entirely new me!

Happy New Year to all my readers! Cheers!

Seeking refuge from the cold in Toronto at the Art Gallery of Ontario | January 2018

Spending quality time with my nephew at the Royal Ontario Museum | February 2018

Wandering through Vizcaya in Miami | March 2018

Sunset walks on Miami Beach | March 2018

School band trip to Montreal | April 2018

Local high school powerlifting meet | May 2018

Summer vacation in Portugal | July 2018

5th anniversary in Coimbra, Portugal | July 2018

Annual visit to Franklin Cider Mill | October 2018

Celebrating Christmas with family | December 2018

My first tattoo | December 2018

Philosophy

On altruism.

“The good is the beautiful.” – Plato

For me, one of the highlights of the holiday season is Vincent Massey Secondary School’s Children’s Christmas Party (fondly known amongst the students and staff as CCP). I still remember attending it ten years ago as a first time teacher at the school, not really knowing what to expect. But after my first experience, I now look forward to the event every year. The students organize a huge Christmas celebration for young children with crafts, a turkey lunch, and of course, Santa. Every year it never gets old for me. I love seeing the students take on leadership roles, and most of all, the young children having so much fun. I am reminded during this time, how important altruism really is.

As individuals, I think it should be our duty to help those in need if we are able to do so. Love, happiness, and wealth should be spread, not just kept to ourselves. By helping others, it allows us to connect more as a community. A society cannot function with all of us working for our own good, but for the good of everyone.

Being altruistic also leads to understanding and empathy. For example, having the students participate in a can drive allows them to learn about the needs of individuals and families within our city, and provides them with an opportunity to help, even if the action may be considered small. This not only makes us better citizens, but better human beings who can see the importance of compassion and camaraderie.

Any altruistic action can make one feel a sense of purpose in our chaotic world. I think that one of the biggest problems we face in contemporary society is a combination of apathy and egoism. I see it as a spectrum from not caring at all, to only caring about yourself. If we were somewhere in between, maybe we could embrace each other more. And for me, that makes life not only more enriching, but meaningful.

As we continue to go about our lives this holiday season, try to think more about giving than receiving, and consider ways that you can help contribute to your community in a positive way. Everyone benefits when love is shared.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS WINDSOR ESSEX

www.bigbrothersbigsisterswe.ca

CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION WINDSOR ESSEX

http://windsoressex.cmha.ca/

HIATUS HOUSE

www.hiatushouse.com/

STREET HELP HOMELESS CENTRE OF WINDSOR

http://www.street-help.com/

THE DOWNTOWN MISSION OF WINDSOR

http://www.downtownmission.com/

WINDSOR YOUTH CENTRE

http://www.thewindsoryouthcentre.org/

WINDSOR ESSEX FOOD BANK ASSOCIATION

http://wefba.ca

UNICEF CANADA

https://www.unicef.ca

PLAN INTERNATIONAL CANADA

https://plancanada.ca

CANADIAN RED CROSS

http://www.redcross.ca

UNITED WAY WINDSOR-ESSEX

https://www.weareunited.com/

Philosophy

On Remembrance.

“You remember only what you want to remember. You know only what your heart allows you to know.” – Amy Tan

Eight years ago, with four teachers/chaperones, and over 40 students, I experienced Europe for the first time. I still vividly remember being overcome with emotion seeing Paris in person, a city I had fantasized about visiting for many years. For me, this trip was a dream come true. I quickly became enchanted by the city, the famous Eiffel Tower, and the Palace of Versailles, but what I didn’t necessarily expect was that our visits to Canadian battlefield sites from World War I and II to be the highlights of the trip. I will never forget the first time I saw an actual WWI trench in Belgium. Seeing the mud, puddles, and barbed wire in reality was quite a different experience from reading about them, watching a documentary, or even teaching about it to my students. And walking over to the cemetery down the street, I remember just breaking down in tears. Row after row the white tombstones stood with the names of Canadians, young and old, who would never return home from the war they fought so bravely in. It wasn’t just Hill 62 in Belgium that impacted me, but also the sites of Beaumont Hamel, Vimy Ridge, Dieppe, and Juno Beach. All of these places are reminders of the blood that was spilled so long ago, for reasons that not everyone may understand. The sites will remain there forever, but the survivors have almost all passed, so it is the responsibility of our generation and those who are younger to keep the memories alive.

I have heard some people speak of Remembrance Day as a day that glorifies war and the military. I would have to disagree, especially as someone who considers themselves a pacifist. On November 11th I never think about how great war is, but the individuals lives who were affected by it, at home and overseas. And it doesn’t necessarily just have to be about World War I and II, but any other major combat that has taken place, or still is happening in our world today. It is so important that we remember how these events have shaped our lives, and how people were willing to risk their own lives so that we can enjoy many of the freedoms we have today, even though they weren’t aware of it at the time.

This November 11th marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. And while this is certainly not the most important event in all of world history, it is still so incredibly important to remember. We cannot let ourselves forget the soldiers, nurses, civilians, men, women, and children affected by war. We must remember sacrifice, love, and peace.

Lest we forget.