tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31273334208658299732024-03-14T00:41:34.767-07:00Who we are.Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-71049506287431256112013-10-31T10:39:00.002-07:002013-10-31T10:39:34.147-07:00Submission by Lisa Schiftan : Sometimes It Is Too Much To Bare<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<em><span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 18.0pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes It Is Too Much To Bare</span></em></div>
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<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">The house feel so empty, so lonely.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Music playing, just so there is noise to hear.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">The phone, it never rings, random unknown emails come by.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes it is too much to bare.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">The thought that life will always be this way.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">That I will always feel the room is too big.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Then filling the room, to make it feel warm, in a way</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes it is just too much to bare.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">At times now it tends to get hard to leave.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Spending hours prepping myself to go out the door.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">And… the hopes that someone would come into my life, a gift<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>gratefully
received.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes it is all too much to bare.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The door knocks, the
phone rings...</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Reality kicks in, and I realize that I am not alone.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">I have my family and friends who love and support me, <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oh
... my loved ones.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Most important of all,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a> I have all the love
for and from my <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Daughter ... I am not alone.</span></div>
<div class="NoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: GungsuhChe; font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes it is too much, but I am happy to bare.</span></div>
Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-22715813841718347532013-10-31T10:32:00.001-07:002013-10-31T10:32:19.176-07:00Submission by Lisa Schiftan : For Only One Day! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h1>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 22.0pt;">For Only One Day !</span></u></i></h1>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If
for only one day,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Could
you be free, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Free
of the chronic pain, </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Free
of the anxiety.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If
for only one day,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Could
the shoe be one the other foot. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And
you didn’t hear the </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Belittling
words, the </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Negative
prods at your humanity.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If
for only one day,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Could
you choose the shoe’s you wanted to wear,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">And
shed the weight of the pair you wear, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Would
you ever truly</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Feel
free.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Written
by Lisa Schiftan</span></div>
Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-9175696432795719142013-10-07T10:48:00.001-07:002013-10-07T10:53:26.287-07:00My Story - This Is My Life ..Submission by Lisa Schiftan<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Recovery</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Why is it such a
hard road? The "Wagon" so to speak, gets full and bumpy, and
someone falls off. To fight that devil within, and be tempted by the
one thing that ruins not only you life but those around you. The ones
you love and the ones that love you.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Recovery, always
within it. Never, truly able to say that I am fixed, that I have recovered. Ah,
what a joy that would be. to remove the shackles and be free of that title,
"Recovering Addict".</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I have prayed all
the time, that I had never discovered that thing that took away my physical
pain away, and then for some reason, the mental the pain was gone. It made life
bearable again with the physical pain better, so to speak. It was not making
the cause of the pain better, just making it disappear for a short while. In
time mentally it seemed that it repaired that too. Reality, it was only numbing
the memories, so that I could forget. Forget, a memory in my brain and block
them and made life bearable again. So I thought.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I was 17 years old,
it all started because of an accident that happened to my neck, and I am two
inches shorter now. That year in my life seemed to be very
crucial year. The year that I was 17, that was the year of my life
which I made some choices that would unknowingly affect my whole life . I
am now 20 years older and I fight the battle everyday and I will for the rest
of my life</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">For more by Lisa Schiftan go to:</span></b></div>
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hppt://sharingwhatmywriting.blogspot.ca/ </div>
Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-78011791336837457642013-08-06T06:12:00.001-07:002013-09-16T07:53:15.723-07:00 Submission by : Lisa Schiftan Post Partum <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Post Partum</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">It is a terrible mental illness, and I, Lisa Julie Schiftan, got it. After giving birth to, or should I say as I felt, having my beautiful daughter, who I refer to as “My Sunshine” taken out of me, I felt detached from my perfect little angle. Deep down I loved her but I was incapable of showing it to her or anyone to be truthful. And it only got worse. I started seeing myself doing things, horrible things, and then the anger came. So, I looked for help and I got help. Help they called it. Medication, that’s what I got. It did stop the thoughts, and the anger was under control, but I was sedated most of the time and not being able do all of my motherly duties, though I tried my very best. By that I meant my daughter was well taken care of but when it came to myself, well I wasn’t.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">After having my daughter, I went from a weight of 242 pounds, down over the period of a year and a half, to a weight of 105 pounds. The wind could literally knock me over, and so could my daughter.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">It happened, the weight lose I am referring to, very slow in the beginning, but then when she was 10 months old I became a single mom. We moved to Mississauga, in a 2 bedroom basement apartment. I however, never slept in mine. I slept on the couch in the living room, which was located right outside her door. That way I could be right there when she needed me. I forgot my needs, and focused completely on hers. When it came to breakfast, lunch and dinner, I would only have one plate, ours. I call it that because she would only eat off my plate for some strange reason. So, she would eat and I would help her, and when she was full, I would finish whatever was left on the plate.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">And that started the rapid weight lose that I went through over the period of the next year. And it was fast, I was dropping pant sizes 2 to 3 a month. Until I was 105 pounds and a size 3.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">I waited for months for things to change. To feel what I said to the people, especially my little sunshine. To feel, such a strange hope, but to me that was unattainable.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Now two years later, yes two years, I can honestly say I am free of that title “Post Partum”. I can say I love you and mean it whole heartedly, and my little angle means the world to me. Not that she didn’t before, but now I can feel it, where as before I couldn’t. And that is what people don’t understand, you love and would die for your child, but your illness doesn’t let you feel it. Now I do and I am the happiest mommy in the world.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Lisa Julie Schiftan.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">June 2009</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Follow Lisa for more at the link below. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://readme.publishmyblog.com/" target="_blank">http://sharingwhatmywriting.blogspot.ca/</a></span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-68418945460113927392013-02-14T05:36:00.002-08:002013-02-14T05:36:37.222-08:00Inspiring Partnerships LuncheonInspiring Partnership Luncheon with Guest speaker Frank O'Dea the co-founder of the Second Cup.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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An afternoon of Hope, Vision and Action.Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-37833278687848932602011-12-16T08:29:00.000-08:002011-12-16T08:29:48.034-08:00Up and In, Down and Out: World of Work<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Up
and In, Down and Out: World of Work</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Column
by Keelin Carey </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Since
the economic downturn in 2008, the global economy is on the teeters with
unpredictable stock prices, debt defaults, and fluctuating unemployment rates. Although
the labour market gradually improved in Canada, there are people still
looking for work. There are people who are employed and struggling to deal with
workplace dilemmas and achieve optimal level of job satisfaction. Ultimately,
when it comes to work, they all have questions: What makes a productive job
search that results in gainful employment? What makes a satisfying career with
good relations with the boss and co-workers? Read on to read common questions
employment counsellors usually field in their line of work regarding job search.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have been looking
for work for over a year with no luck. What should I do?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There
are numerous factors and suggestions that cannot be covered in this column. The
first thing will come to my mind is your employment goal and the qualifications
you possess. The second is your research on the labour market. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Grab
five different job postings and read the requirements. Check off the ones you
possess. Do you see all items checked off? If the answer is yes, review your
marketing documents (i.e. resume, cover letter) and job search techniques. Seek
assistance for revisions. Obtain a second opinion. Revise again. Many
applications were discarded because of one or two grammatical or spelling
errors. Pay attention to details in black and white. What about your job search
skills? Maybe they need to be updated. Visit libraries and Employment Resource
Centres. Sign up with employment / job development services. Talk with friends,
family, and professionals. Take out books on job search. Surf the Net for
articles on specific topics. Explore ideas and possibilities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Suppose
the items are not checked off, re-examine the requirements. If the first three
requirements are checked off, then there is some hope. Options you may want to
consider are: Taking a course; registering with a governing body or an
association to receive a designation that is essential in your field; or, lending
your time to an organization to acquire experience using specific skills. To
pay bills, it might mean going off-track in taking an interim position –
survival job - until you build up your skills-set to achieve your employment
goal. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">If
you do not meet the requirements, then do not lose hope. What other jobs are
similar to your employment goal that you can start off first? You might want to
consider an apprenticeship or take out an OSAP loan to attend college or
university or visit your local Employment Ontario organization to discuss Skill
Development. An investment in time and education, along with a little elbow
grease and positive attitude, will pay off in the future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It
is critical that you become proactive, not passive, in your quest. Desire and
conviction in what you do will lead to a great job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Should I disclose my
Deafness in the cover letter? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
safe answer anyone will tell you is not to disclose any details regarding race,
religion, ethnicity, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and disability in
your cover letters. The reason is that resumes and cover letters are to focus
on merit – skills, experience, education, and accomplishments, thus prospective
employers’ biases will not come into play when choosing who to contact for
interviews.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Of
course, such disclosure may be used to your advantage if it is a Deaf
organization or an organization – business or non-profit – that has a hiring
motto of being an Equal Opportunity employer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Some
job seekers decided to disclose because they want to be upfront, especially
when they rely on email and text-messaging for initial contact and need ASL
interpreting services for the interviews. Few have said that some managers know
“a friend of a friend who has a Deaf cousin” and, because of their familiarity
with Deaf individuals in the past, they are willing to interview Deaf
candidates. This is clearly in opposition of what Human Resources professionals
and employment counsellors are trained to say in regards to disclosure of
Deafness, but disclosing has been an advantage for some.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">To
disclose or not to disclose, that is the question. Which action are you
comfortable taking? To decide, trying both will not hurt. Just make sure that
you place the strongest emphasis on your MERIT above anything else in the letter
and let your optimism shine through.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have been offered
interviews, but no job offers. What am I doing wrong?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Clearly,
you are qualified for the positions applied. Resumes, cover letters, and job
search techniques are not a concern, which leaves me to wonder about your
appearance, interviewing style, preparedness, and understanding of etiquette.
In a nutshell, this is a make-or-break where the interviewers decide if they
like you or not within the first 20 seconds of meeting you. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">20
seconds?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Yes,
twenty, 20, two-oh seconds to decide if you are worth their time or not. Even
less than 20 seconds. First impressions count. It is not say that first
impressions define and cement our personalities and the outward appearances we
present to the world, but they do define the moment when prospective employers
take you in their eyes and make snap judgments. Make sure you are dressed
appropriately, groomed to a T, and smiling with sincerity. Let your best
qualities shine. And, mind your manners, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Did
you ask someone to practice common interview questions with you and to throw in
unexpected ones to keep you on your toes? Read about the interview process and
appropriate interview behaviour and style? Research the company? Grasp the true
context of the duties and required skills of the advertised position? Make a
list of stories demonstrating key skills to wow the interviewer? Find out the
best route of arriving on time for the interview? All of this PREPARATION is
crucial to interview success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Suppose
you have done the above and still struggle to obtain job offers, what are the
other possibilities? One person I know was so nervous when preparing for an
interview that she became increasingly anxious and overwrought. As a result,
she became mentally fatigued during the interview and was lacklustre. Oops.
Know when to stop and get a good night’s sleep to absorb everything in. Another
person dragged his answers too long that the interviewer interrupted him to
move on to the next question. That was feedback, and he didn’t get it at the
time. The interviewer may have perceived that as an inability to accept
feedback and change direction – one of the key soft skills to be successful on
the job. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sometimes,
it is not during the interview that impacted the decisions of the interviewer,
but what happened afterwards. Following up with a thank-you note is important
as it shows your graciousness. The thank-you note can address concerns of the
interviewer or short-comings you may have, ending on a positive note.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It
is vital to remain grounded during the interview. Staying in the moment will
help you to be conscious of your body language and attitude. Be aware of the
hidden messages the interviewer delivers between the lines. Determine if you
truly want to work for the company. Do not forget the purpose of the interview:
It is an opportunity to sell yourself as someone the company must have as part of
its team. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last Words:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
this column, everything is easier said than done. Learn from your achievements
and mistakes and share them with others for insight. Know that you will get the
hang of it with some faith and conviction in what you do, the doors will open.
Even just a crack is enough.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="body1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Your
attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">- Zig Ziglar <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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</span>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-71710570146488619092011-11-24T11:13:00.000-08:002011-11-24T11:13:04.829-08:00Mississauga Article: Accessibility deadline looms<a href="http://www.mississauga.com/opinion/columns/article/1248794--accessibility-deadline-looms">Mississauga Article: Accessibility deadline looms</a>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-55371038633983268862011-11-24T11:11:00.000-08:002011-11-24T11:11:18.392-08:00Mississauga Article: Accessibility a must<a href="http://www.mississauga.com/opinion/columns/article/1249068--accessibility-a-must">Mississauga Article: Accessibility a must</a>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-80442398554061819832011-10-06T06:52:00.000-07:002011-10-06T06:52:51.420-07:00Our newest Project- The Student Transition ProgramThe Student Transition Program was developed in conjunction with the
Peel District School Board in an effort to assist Students with
Disabilities obtain and maintain Co-op and Apprenticeship placements.<br />
The Trillium Foundation has awarded the
Coalition for Persons with Disabilities a two year grant as a pilot
project in the hopes that the program will not only prove to be
successful within the PDSB, but will then be implemented in school
boards across the province in the years following the initial funding.<br />
Some of the areas in which focus will be made is as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>Workshops for Students to motivate and inform about Co-op and Apprenticeship<br /> </li>
<li>Workshops for Co-op teachers and PDSB staff on developing opportunities for Students with Disabilities<br /> </li>
<li>Pre-Placement Counselling<br /> </li>
<li>Co-op Development<br /> </li>
<li>Post Hire Support<br /> </li>
<li>Accommodations assessments and implementation<br /> </li>
<li>Post Secondary Transitions Support<br /> </li>
</ul>
As experts in the field of assisting Persons with Disabilities, the
Coalition will be a consultation service for the PDSB and will use
whatever resources needed to ensure that Students with Disabilities are
able to have access to the same employment preparation programs as their
peers regardless of their barriers to employment.<br />
<br />
If your would like more information regarding this program please contact Ryan Machete at 905-502-0565 ext 222 or Email: <a href="mailto:">ryan.machete@disabilityaccess.org</a><br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRB7pSDKOv2cnmYNvDtp4VW9Xdl0LZBfB0JqjBcpibUArjsZCKEhyWUTnbbwcdVblFSy2RcvGWSY-2wQ-DY83Rl_bnWUY7Nv6GgqVflS5LSgtN1CWGnyxXpu1iaIEltDZLw7obZssK04D/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQRB7pSDKOv2cnmYNvDtp4VW9Xdl0LZBfB0JqjBcpibUArjsZCKEhyWUTnbbwcdVblFSy2RcvGWSY-2wQ-DY83Rl_bnWUY7Nv6GgqVflS5LSgtN1CWGnyxXpu1iaIEltDZLw7obZssK04D/s200/011.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Machete</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-39105111161899405772011-08-12T10:06:00.001-07:002011-08-12T10:06:57.699-07:00IMPORTANT NEWS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES from The Coalition for Persons with DisabilitiesIMPORTANT NEWS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES from The Coalition for Persons with Disabilities New for G.E. 2011: Request a Special Ballot Home Visit Call Elections Ontario between August 8 to August 30 to book a Home Visit Voters who have difficulty going to their local returning office may request a home visit. Home visits will take place between September 8 to October 5th, 6:00 PM ET or 5:00 PM CT. You may apply to vote by Special ballot in your home if you: Are eligible to vote in the October 6th, 2011 provincial election, and Find it impossible or unreasonably difficult to personally go to the returning office in your electoral district, and Need assistance with making an application to vote by Special ballot, because of a disability or because an inability to read or write Home Visit requests will be accepted at Elections Ontario headquarters from August 8 to August 30, 2011 by phone, email or fax*. Telephone: Toll free in Canada and the United States: 1-(855)-523-5932 Collect Calls: 416-649-1046 TTY toll free in Canada and the United States: 1-(888)-292-2312 Email: sb@elections.on.ca Fax: Attention: Special Ballots 1-(888)-438-4448 (toll-free in Canada and the United States) Hours of operation: August 8 – 20: Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM ET August 22 – September 24: Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET; Sunday 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET *After August 30th, you may call your local returning office from September 7th to October 5, 6:00 PM ET or 5:00 PM CT to book your appointment. Please Note: Elections Ontario will forward your requests to your local Returning Officer. You will receive a call from a Special Ballot Officer after September 7th who will schedule your home visit at that time.Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-76100497241240968082011-07-21T08:52:00.000-07:002011-07-21T08:52:05.354-07:00My Blog<div class="WordSection1"><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">My name is Christina Martins, and I was diagnosed with Spina Bifida when I was born, myelomeningocele to be more specific. Myelomeningocele is a congenital defect of the central nervous system in which a sac containing part of the spinal cord and its meninges protrude through a gap in the vertebral column; frequently accompanied by hydrocephalus and development delay. Not many people know about this type of disability. <br />
I also have scoliosis (from Greek: <i><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">skoliōsis</span></i> meaning from <i><span style="font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">skolios</span></i>, "crooked") is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line. Scoliosis is typically classified as either congenital (caused by vertebral anomalies present at birth), idiopathic (cause unknown, subclassified as infantile, juvenile, adolescent, or adult, according to when onset occurred), or neuromuscular (having developed as a secondary symptom of another condition, such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy, or physical trauma). This condition affects approximately 7 million people in the United States.<br />
<br />
Having this type of disability caused me to have an emergency surgery when I was born. My own mother could not hold me right away. I also had to stay in the hospital longer than the average newborn. I am very lucky to actually survive my birth, if I did not get that surgery, I would not be walking and breathing on this earth right now. This was not the only surgery I had to get as I got older I had a lot more.<br />
<br />
Growing up was very difficult, not really knowing what my own disability was, looking at the people around me wondering why they weren't like me, having A.F.Os (ankle-foot orthoses) or leg braces, a walker etc. I was also wondering why they were staring at me as like they never seen a person with a walker before, it never really clicked in that I thought they could just be wondering what was wrong with me.<br />
<br />
I was very young when I got my first pair of A.F.Os, I think I was only 3 years old and my first walker at 4 years old. When I started school I always felt I had to be like I had to be like the other kids to fit in, but of course with my disability I couldn't really anyways, back than it meant a lot to me if I could. When I got to grade 5, that's when people started to tease me and I didn't really have any friends.<br />
<br />
In 2003, a tragic thing happened in my family. I lost my mother from a brain aneurysm; this is when I knew I had depression. Not from just losing her but knowing have a physical disability to worry about the rest of my life. I didn't really get help for it until high school where I had to talk with the child youth worker and an actual mental health nurse. I always thought my depression was a sign of weakness but it wasn't. It was a cry for help and a sign to show I was strong for a long time.<br />
<br />
I just want to show the world how much of a strong young woman I have become, after all the surgeries I had and maybe more in the future, I'll still be standing strong and keeping my head held high. Nothing will break me. My name is Christina Martins, love me or hate me. This is me. Put yourself in my shoes, before you judge me. I want to make my mother proud.</span></div></div></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dO8IwSIRItlbJZbN5aY1Qc4RV2KpixaskuCIqSaBb7e_sv5-vTbgcEba9fn01_YuJgFUHC8iUOLi2a_y112h39OVN9zocCivKKhLTL1GynGnHptYwG7DfG_lc6hK_vSp3mQ0Gl9JUNbi/s1600/jama_children_birthdefects_lev20_spinabifida_jpp_01_1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dO8IwSIRItlbJZbN5aY1Qc4RV2KpixaskuCIqSaBb7e_sv5-vTbgcEba9fn01_YuJgFUHC8iUOLi2a_y112h39OVN9zocCivKKhLTL1GynGnHptYwG7DfG_lc6hK_vSp3mQ0Gl9JUNbi/s320/jama_children_birthdefects_lev20_spinabifida_jpp_01_1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</center>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-56796980050348742412011-07-21T05:52:00.000-07:002011-07-21T05:52:47.959-07:00How to submit your story.If there is something you would like to share about yourself, your journey or perhaps you have been here and want to share the experience you had here with us in one of our programs. Please email renee.duncan@disabilityaccess.org and I will upload it. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Coming to this blog site soon we will have monthly installment regarding Employment from our Jobs Team and an update from our Youth Project.Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-71447134087658585802011-05-05T07:57:00.000-07:002011-05-05T07:57:48.483-07:00Inspiring Partnerships 2007<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Br9GbkNyTl4?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" width="425"></iframe>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-54962328461802865992011-05-05T07:55:00.000-07:002011-05-05T07:55:33.663-07:00Connections 2007<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ITG4Lw2jTU4?fs=1" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" width="425"></iframe>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-89185766352151123802011-04-20T05:42:00.000-07:002011-04-20T05:42:15.662-07:00Daren's Blog<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt;">“This Is Good.”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Daren Costin</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">I first began writing this over four months ago. I was very doubtful of it and of myself because</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">traditional reality is quite different from a reality that is generated by a brain that has suffered some sort</span> <span style="color: black;">of trauma. At times I am embarrassed by it. I am now happy to define as an Invisible Disability meaning</span> <span style="color: black;">I wasn’t affected physically so you can’t see it, and it has taken me three years to find that particular</span> <span style="color: black;">term. I would write, read and always feel self-conscious about it because I stood on both sides of the</span> <span style="color: black;">looking glass…completely understanding myself as a stroke person, yet completely misunderstanding or</span> <span style="color: black;">demanding some qualification of myself as a normal person. (What <i>is </i>normal? Is it possible that I am</span> <span style="color: black;">more normal now then ever? One of the many questions that have come to my head as a result of my</span> <span style="color: black;">stroke.) In the end, I will write this one story as it was, is, and always will be.</span> <span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">It had been about only two weeks since the actual stroke. Those two weeks were packed full of</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">family trauma, much of which has been healed and much of which may never heal. The duration of my</span> <span style="color: black;">stroke up until this moment has involved “many” people in many ways….physical, mental, emotional,</span> <span style="color: black;">cognitive. My memory was gravely affected, but I now know that I remember the moments and faces —</span> <span style="color: black;">it just can’t remember the particulars such as names and numbers. Just a trifle! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">The stroke Daren is very</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">much at peace not being able to remember people by their names. For example, let us use the name</span> <span style="color: black;">Jane, an occupational therapist. One day we had just finished a group session where we</span> <span style="color: black;">discussed the newspaper articles for that day. Oddly enough at the time I couldn’t read, but I didn’t</span> <span style="color: black;">actually understand that I couldn’t read so I’d flip thru the paper and “read” even though I actually</span> <span style="color: black;">couldn’t read. In the beginning there was actually very little I could understand about myself. I didn’t</span> <span style="color: black;">recognize that I couldn’t remember what I wrote, or that I couldn’t write in a straight line or that I kept</span> <span style="color: black;">on bumping into things. But as for Jane — it was Jane who taught me again what the names of fruit</span> <span style="color: black;">were. I had found a small card with pictures of fruit on it, and I asked, “What do you call this?” Such</span> <span style="color: black;">meaning in such a question from a man my age. Jane was kind and sat down with me and described</span> <span style="color: black;">how they felt and how I would eat them and as much as she could share with me about the fruit. And</span> <span style="color: black;">then she labeled the card and <i>gave </i>it to me. And how I treasured that card for months to come! I</span> <span style="color: black;">would re-read it to myself…you are an apple…you are an orange (which was a very hard word to read).</span> <span style="color: black;">Months later, I would go to the grocery store and smell, squeeze and talk to <i>all</i> the food! You’re an</span> <span style="color: black;">orange…I forget what they call you. And everything about those moments <i>became </i>a part of me – the</span> <span style="color: black;">card, the names, even the light in the room but most importantly was Jane because it all revolved</span> <span style="color: black;">around her and it still does each time I go shopping…I remember how she sat down without hesitation…</span> <span style="color: black;">just for me…with me…looking into my eyes…trying to convey the essence of what an apple and orange</span> <span style="color: black;">were to me. I still don’t actually remember Jane’s name. I only remember how she feels to me. And to</span> <span style="color: black;">me that is much more real than a name. I think that’s just how love is. Perhaps, it’s all about salvation?</span> <span style="color: black;">Jane, to my mind and soul, is an actual event full of life… and one of my first gentle teachers in my new</span> <span style="color: black;">life. It’s a peculiar way to remember people, but on the other hand, because I have discovered I thrive</span> <span style="color: black;">on happiness my mind has no need to focus on bad memories of people. And so, out of the darkness</span> <span style="color: black;">she came to help me into the light. A tear comes from my eye</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-size: 9.5pt;">.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">The one moment that had the most lasting impression on me occurred at the same time I was seeing Jane.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">But this involved physical rehab. In the beginning, my body could not work very hard due to the stroke.</span> <span style="color: black;">It has taken me three years to reach the point where I can just begin to jog. Yet as I jog the quality of my</span> <span style="color: black;">vision declines, my balance begins to wane, my right side gets lazy, and I have to focus on my pace or I will</span> <span style="color: black;">forget to breathe and I will just get plain fuzzy all round! I look fine but in reality I’m a little bit wobbly, can’t</span> <span style="color: black;">see all that well and so forth. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Physical rehab began with a quick assessment, which I thought to be quite</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">silly. Assessments always baffled me because they are of course designed to discover and reveal the</span> <span style="color: black;">unknown, so I was in the dark no matter which way you cut the ham. And so began my physical rehab. I</span> <span style="color: black;">thought I was going fast on the treadmill until I saw some other guy and was able to compare. I walked</span> <span style="color: black;">like an old man. Like most of the discovering in the very beginning it was very depressing. I</span> <span style="color: black;">understood that I could not do things the same way because that was obvious to me, but I could</span> <span style="color: black;">not understand the why…I did not understand the meaning of the word stroke, of what I had survived,</span> <span style="color: black;">of what had happened. That would take close to two years before I came to understand, in a sense, the</span> <i><span style="color: black;">meaning of life</span></i><span style="color: black;">. And so I continued to toddle along at a snail’s pace on the treadmill thinking I was</span> <span style="color: black;">flying!</span> <span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">My time in that hospital would be short so we wanted to get me oot-and-aboot as quickly as</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">possible. I think we were all relieved that I remembered old territory as there would have been nothing</span> <span style="color: black;">worse than getting lost in my own closet on a daily basis. There are some changes of course…such as</span> <span style="color: black;">north, south, east, and west. Before things just used to be east or west (or whatever), but now I only</span> <span style="color: black;">have a sense of myself and the immediate space around me. In all honesty, most of the time I never</span> <span style="color: black;">really know where I am in a sense…but I always know I’m right here and headed in the right direction.</span> <span style="color: black;">To me, that makes perfect sense because when I am extremely tired I only process my immediate space</span> <span style="color: black;">as it keeps me alive. And there ain’t nothing wrong with that. In order to get a sense of east or west I</span> <span style="color: black;">have to zoom out, and the more tired I am the farther out I have to zoom to get my bearings. The</span> <span style="color: black;">farthest I have to zoom out is over the continental North America and then I zoom back in to where I am</span> <span style="color: black;">to make sure I’m headed the right direction. I am able to do it in a few quick frames now. In the</span> <span style="color: black;">beginning I tried to use the sun as a reference, speaking quietly to myself and using my arm I would</span> <span style="color: black;">trace the sun’s path in the sky. Believe me…there are many confused people out there still staring at the</span> <span style="color: black;">sky wondering what the hell I could have been pointing at so intently and with such purpose! And once I</span> <span style="color: black;">had figure out where I was going I would just walk away! As for the walks, I was taken by a qualified</span> <span style="color: black;">trainer and by a younger student. I was roaring to go for my first walk! The younger student came into</span> <span style="color: black;">my room to make sure I was properly dressed, and I, like a kid, eagerly showed him my jacket, my</span> <span style="color: black;">boots…you get the picture. I was quivering. Life was so different. I felt like I had just landed on a</span> <span style="color: black;">different planet. I’m very glad I had a sense of direction. I didn’t care about going left or right at that</span> <span style="color: black;">time; all I could muster up was this way or that way.</span> <span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">In all I went for a total of four walks. Two walks were with all three of us as if we were on some</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">sort of caravan. And the last two with the younger student. On the last walk, he made the comment that</span> <span style="color: black;">he had no idea why he was still there because all he did was take me for walks! It was a funny comment</span> <span style="color: black;">at the time but I also knew that it had to be done…and I also knew that I needed him because when I</span> <span style="color: black;">heard him mention that he was leaving I was flooded with panic. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">It has only been recently, almost</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">three years after, that I don’t panic anymore. He has been a part of this the entire time without</span> <span style="color: black;">knowing it. And so we did a total of four walks. I was taught to stop, look this way, look that way, and</span> <span style="color: black;">so forth. I relearned very quickly not to step in those things we call puddles…especially during the</span> <span style="color: black;">winter. And because it was December and snow was on the ground when I had my stroke…well… every</span> <span style="color: black;">day that I wake up, I emotionally and sometimes literally expect there to be snow…even during the summer.</span> <span style="color: black;">When it <i>does </i>snow I’m very relieved…as if all of creation is as it should be. And I still listen to Christmas</span> <span style="color: black;">music on my iPod all year round. As far as I’m concerned, it’s ok. The student left, and I was very sad</span> <span style="color: black;">and worried because I didn’t think I would ever get to go outside again. That is…until I got the wonderful</span> <span style="color: black;">idea of going outside on my own. But the problem was that it was now a whole procedure if not a two</span>-<span style="color: black;">ringed circus…what should I wear? What am I going to do? How do the doors work? The cars? And</span> <span style="color: black;">WHAT ABOUT ME!</span> <span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">And so…I began to get up the nerve. I sat in the restaurant watching the people. They moved</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">just as I did, so we had something in common, which made me feel less scared. What really scared me</span> <span style="color: black;">was all the movement going on…the cars and the people. It was a lot for my vision to make sense of.</span> <span style="color: black;">And it was a new environment, too. I don’t think I’ve felt so apprehensive. A simple thing but it seemed</span> <span style="color: black;">like a huge step…and it was.</span> <span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">I finally got up the nerve to do it. I went thru the doors and just about had a heart attack</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">because I was alone…alone in how I felt. I wasn’t about to ask somebody to take care of me and help</span> <span style="color: black;">me find a seat and then take me back. Twice that day I made it out…and froze like a deer in the</span> <span style="color: black;">headlights because I didn’t know what to do. At least, I had enough sense to go back inside. And that is</span> <span style="color: black;">when I began to “case the joint!” I was very sneaky about it and sat in the cafeteria and in the lobby</span> <span style="color: black;">looking where I could land after I had taken off! Actually the idea of taking off and landing wasn’t that</span> <span style="color: black;">far off because I was scared on the inside.</span> <span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">And so I tried again, but this time there was a big supporting post so I turned around and went</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">back inside. I had not anticipated running into a post. I knew where the seats were but I didn’t take into</span> <span style="color: black;">account everything else…like those big posts that held up the hospital for instance. As I re-scoped the</span> <span style="color: black;">area again I noticed them and couldn’t help but ask…”Where the hell did that stuff come from?” I was</span> <span style="color: black;">very suspicious and scared of the whole thing now. I felt betrayed…afterall I had almost plowed into a</span> <span style="color: black;">post. That’s the problem with vision…there is so much to it! But my curiosity really was kicking now.</span> <span style="color: black;">After about an hour I was feeling downright rebellious. I <i>had </i>to get to that bench.</span> <span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">I, finally, made it to that bench. And I was a child once again. I didn’t just sit down…if you could</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">picture an accelerated sit-down that would be it. I had done it from start to finish…even had my jacket</span> <span style="color: black;">on. And I was so scared because I was able to see a new piece of the world at a different angle now.</span> <span style="color: black;">There was way too much going on…cars and people. Everything was so big. It wasn’t until I closed my</span> <span style="color: black;">eyes to feel the world around me that I began to feel better. I could hear and know where the cars</span> <span style="color: black;">were. I felt the sun. The air. The breeze. The cold. It was there that I found peace triumph over my</span> <span style="color: black;">panic. Each time I think of the panic I experience I can feel it…but I can also feel how I calmed down</span> <span style="color: black;">after I had closed my eyes. I realized my hands were gripping the bench as if someone were going to</span> <span style="color: black;">steal it and I began to feel silly. I sat there for a few minutes, and I only had one small sentence to</span> <span style="color: black;">murmur to myself…as I rocked myself gently I whispered, “This is good Daren…this is good.” And it truly</span> <span style="color: black;">was.</span> <span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">I had experienced and continue to experience life on such a bizarre level. It has only been the</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">past few months that I have let go it all as a stigma. To me it is just life now and it is good. Stigmas are</span> <span style="color: black;">part of our belief system, so I know it will be an ongoing process, but at least I know it has begun.</span> <span style="color: black;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">I always wondered what God meant in Genesis when He saw that it was good. In my old life I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="color: black;">never really understood why the words quite meant. Such a simple statement from a Guy who had just</span> <span style="color: black;">created all of everything? It’s not just good…it’s mind-blowing.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">November 27, 2010</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div>Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3127333420865829973.post-2475139017216697552011-04-18T05:32:00.000-07:002011-04-18T05:32:45.576-07:00Coalition For Persons with Disabilties/Employment AccessThe Coalition for Persons with Disabilities was formed in 1985 as a not-for-profit community-based partnership of persons with disabilities and community groups working collaboratively to affect positive changes for persons with disabilities in the regions of Peel, Halton and Dufferin. Today, the Coalition continues this vision for independence and inclusion through a number of community-based programs and services.The goal is to promote full and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in today's labour market. We have <b>Employment ACCESS</b>, <b>Sign of the Times</b>, <b>Work Readiness for Youth</b>, <b>Discover your Personal Power Workshop</b>,<b> Employment PAH</b> and the people who make all this happen. This is the place where we share our journey. Announce our achievements and display our talents. This blog page is for all of us Warriors who continue to fight everyday for Independence and inclusion for persons with disabilities.Empacc1http://www.blogger.com/profile/06217622518550860322noreply@blogger.com0