ABOUT ME
I think what makes it hard for us to answer when someone says, “tell me about yourself”;
is that we are not sure exactly what they are asking. Do you want my personal history, the where, when, who and how of my life experiences? I will include a brief bio for that information.
About me… for me… is more basic to the person I am and how I have chosen to live my life. My life motto is Honour, Humour & Humanity. Integrity, respect, courage, honesty are all part of living an honourable life. To do what is right simply because it is right. Humour takes many forms, slap-stick to irony, it all appeals to someone. For me the ironic and absurd moments of my life provide the most entertainment. As for humanity I follow the basic ethical principle of “Do No
Harm” … and in as much as is humanly possible to leave every situation better then I found it. Perhaps, someday, I’ll discuss each of these elements of my life philosophy in separate blogs so I can explain my reasoning in better detail.
When I was a child my granny said that, “everyone has a gift” and one day I would find mine. A gift is that one thing that sets us apart… an innate ability beyond what can be learned. I discovered very early that I had no talent (or even competency) when it came to athletics. I was always told to “mouth the words” in class recitals, which made me believe I had a terrible singing voice. Turns out I have a perfectly lovely singing voice, but ironically I am tone deaf. LOL. I found that I am a good artisan, whether painting, sewing, pottery, jewelry making, baking or pretty much anything else I put my hands to; the result is always creative and aesthetically pleasing.
But it took me a long time to recognize and appreciate my true gift. I didn’t recognize this as a gift because it is so non-traditional to our thinking. I can see into people’s hearts and help them heal. Even as a teenager I found that others (adults) would open themselves up to me confiding their deepest secret pain. Equally important was that I knew what to say or do in that moment to help them heal. Once I began outreach work, I began to appreciate how very unique my gift is. All the training in the world (and I have the training) is no substitute for a God given talent. Juilliard can make a great pianist, but only God could make Mozart. In keeping with my Honesty principle; when it comes to helping people find the key to their happiness; I am Mozart. I will help anyone who comes to me, because it would be contrary to nature not to use our gifts to make the world better, even if it is only one life at a time. I believe in the ripple effect, so every good we put into the world creates more good. And so on, and so on and so on.
I can now affirm a simple truth… that when we use our gift (whatever that may be) in the
service of others we will bring joy into our own lives. I very much enjoy my life.
BIOGRAPHY
I was born in Northwestern Ontario at the heart of the baby boom, the second of six children in a working (poor) family. I spent my formative years in Saskatchewan ages 2 thru 6 in the custody of my grandparents living as an only child in an Ozzy & Harriet type household. After my Grandpa Bill’s death on my 6th birthday I was returned to the custody of my parents in Thunder Bay. Following a challenging childhood and a mis-spent youth, I married a lovely young man from the neighbourhood. After about a decade (as with many young marriages) we had grown up and grown apart. It was only a few months later that I started dating the man who would become my second husband. With him my oldest daughter and I spent a summer backpacking through Europe and Britain. We moved to Calgary for several years and when we moved back to southern Ontario, Georgina stayed behind to build a life of her own. The thing I missed the most in those early days of separation was the laughter; George and I share a quirky sense of humour and when we are together it seems like we are always laughing about something. In southern Ontario my husband went to law school and we had our two babies… now wonderful young adults.
After 13 years together that marriage ended. I was devastated it took years and two bouts of clinical depression to completely recover. I have always loved learning and since I was 19, I have pretty much always been in at least one continuing-ed class or another. At age 42 after my second divorce I went back to university to get my degree. First I took a degree in psychology, which I thought would make use of my gift for helping troubled people. Because I attended school year round I finished that degree in only 3 years, so I went back to finish a degree in philosophy which I had started in the 1980s. Focusing on ethics and contemporary moral issues, it satisfied a personal goal, with little marketable value. I encourage young people to go to college and get job specific training… it is the way of today’s world; the degrees can come later after you have better career focus.
After graduating I attempted starting a couple of businesses (divorce management counseling & designing stylish clothing for handicapped ladies), both of which failed because I was more interested in helping people then in making a profit, lol. Due to government funding cutback there were no jobs in the social service sector, so I spent the next decade as a single mom on and off assistance, working whatever minimum wage job I could land. Then, in 2005 when my youngest went away to school… I returned to Alberta to live with my oldest girl and find work in social services. This was the beginning of a new life. I volunteered at the DI (Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre) which I loved so much that I begged them into giving me a job less then a year later. After 3 years I created Angels of the Road… which I guess could be described as extreme outreach. I wanted to understand what it would take to better help my clients move forward with their lives. Living among the Street people, Homeless and poorest of Canadians has given me an opportunity to practice freestyle social work, which is marked by a lack of script or agenda. Freestyle social work involves being present in the moment and in the client’s life as needed, listening to the other person (without judgment) and doing what you can, when you can to help them move forward, even if it is only in baby steps. Now that I have spent 2 years living like this I doubt that I could work any other way.
As for the future I will continue to use my gifts to help anyone who needs me. My dream was to open a healing lodge for urban Native struggling to get out of addiction and off the streets. I would do this with private funding (if governments were any good at this stuff we wouldn’t have such an overpriced catastrophic failure of a system) because my agenda is create real life change for people who need and want it. But the universe (God or Source) seems to have other plans for me, I recieve a "knowing" that I was to move to Victoria to teach and heal. That is how Spirit of the 8th Fire was born. So I guess I’m not planning to retire anytime soon ;-) Thank you for your interest in my biography. That is my life ‘til now, but there is much left to be written.
Have a joyous day.
I think what makes it hard for us to answer when someone says, “tell me about yourself”;
is that we are not sure exactly what they are asking. Do you want my personal history, the where, when, who and how of my life experiences? I will include a brief bio for that information.
About me… for me… is more basic to the person I am and how I have chosen to live my life. My life motto is Honour, Humour & Humanity. Integrity, respect, courage, honesty are all part of living an honourable life. To do what is right simply because it is right. Humour takes many forms, slap-stick to irony, it all appeals to someone. For me the ironic and absurd moments of my life provide the most entertainment. As for humanity I follow the basic ethical principle of “Do No
Harm” … and in as much as is humanly possible to leave every situation better then I found it. Perhaps, someday, I’ll discuss each of these elements of my life philosophy in separate blogs so I can explain my reasoning in better detail.
When I was a child my granny said that, “everyone has a gift” and one day I would find mine. A gift is that one thing that sets us apart… an innate ability beyond what can be learned. I discovered very early that I had no talent (or even competency) when it came to athletics. I was always told to “mouth the words” in class recitals, which made me believe I had a terrible singing voice. Turns out I have a perfectly lovely singing voice, but ironically I am tone deaf. LOL. I found that I am a good artisan, whether painting, sewing, pottery, jewelry making, baking or pretty much anything else I put my hands to; the result is always creative and aesthetically pleasing.
But it took me a long time to recognize and appreciate my true gift. I didn’t recognize this as a gift because it is so non-traditional to our thinking. I can see into people’s hearts and help them heal. Even as a teenager I found that others (adults) would open themselves up to me confiding their deepest secret pain. Equally important was that I knew what to say or do in that moment to help them heal. Once I began outreach work, I began to appreciate how very unique my gift is. All the training in the world (and I have the training) is no substitute for a God given talent. Juilliard can make a great pianist, but only God could make Mozart. In keeping with my Honesty principle; when it comes to helping people find the key to their happiness; I am Mozart. I will help anyone who comes to me, because it would be contrary to nature not to use our gifts to make the world better, even if it is only one life at a time. I believe in the ripple effect, so every good we put into the world creates more good. And so on, and so on and so on.
I can now affirm a simple truth… that when we use our gift (whatever that may be) in the
service of others we will bring joy into our own lives. I very much enjoy my life.
BIOGRAPHY
I was born in Northwestern Ontario at the heart of the baby boom, the second of six children in a working (poor) family. I spent my formative years in Saskatchewan ages 2 thru 6 in the custody of my grandparents living as an only child in an Ozzy & Harriet type household. After my Grandpa Bill’s death on my 6th birthday I was returned to the custody of my parents in Thunder Bay. Following a challenging childhood and a mis-spent youth, I married a lovely young man from the neighbourhood. After about a decade (as with many young marriages) we had grown up and grown apart. It was only a few months later that I started dating the man who would become my second husband. With him my oldest daughter and I spent a summer backpacking through Europe and Britain. We moved to Calgary for several years and when we moved back to southern Ontario, Georgina stayed behind to build a life of her own. The thing I missed the most in those early days of separation was the laughter; George and I share a quirky sense of humour and when we are together it seems like we are always laughing about something. In southern Ontario my husband went to law school and we had our two babies… now wonderful young adults.
After 13 years together that marriage ended. I was devastated it took years and two bouts of clinical depression to completely recover. I have always loved learning and since I was 19, I have pretty much always been in at least one continuing-ed class or another. At age 42 after my second divorce I went back to university to get my degree. First I took a degree in psychology, which I thought would make use of my gift for helping troubled people. Because I attended school year round I finished that degree in only 3 years, so I went back to finish a degree in philosophy which I had started in the 1980s. Focusing on ethics and contemporary moral issues, it satisfied a personal goal, with little marketable value. I encourage young people to go to college and get job specific training… it is the way of today’s world; the degrees can come later after you have better career focus.
After graduating I attempted starting a couple of businesses (divorce management counseling & designing stylish clothing for handicapped ladies), both of which failed because I was more interested in helping people then in making a profit, lol. Due to government funding cutback there were no jobs in the social service sector, so I spent the next decade as a single mom on and off assistance, working whatever minimum wage job I could land. Then, in 2005 when my youngest went away to school… I returned to Alberta to live with my oldest girl and find work in social services. This was the beginning of a new life. I volunteered at the DI (Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre) which I loved so much that I begged them into giving me a job less then a year later. After 3 years I created Angels of the Road… which I guess could be described as extreme outreach. I wanted to understand what it would take to better help my clients move forward with their lives. Living among the Street people, Homeless and poorest of Canadians has given me an opportunity to practice freestyle social work, which is marked by a lack of script or agenda. Freestyle social work involves being present in the moment and in the client’s life as needed, listening to the other person (without judgment) and doing what you can, when you can to help them move forward, even if it is only in baby steps. Now that I have spent 2 years living like this I doubt that I could work any other way.
As for the future I will continue to use my gifts to help anyone who needs me. My dream was to open a healing lodge for urban Native struggling to get out of addiction and off the streets. I would do this with private funding (if governments were any good at this stuff we wouldn’t have such an overpriced catastrophic failure of a system) because my agenda is create real life change for people who need and want it. But the universe (God or Source) seems to have other plans for me, I recieve a "knowing" that I was to move to Victoria to teach and heal. That is how Spirit of the 8th Fire was born. So I guess I’m not planning to retire anytime soon ;-) Thank you for your interest in my biography. That is my life ‘til now, but there is much left to be written.
Have a joyous day.
