Time Does Not Wait

End of Week 15 – #COVID19BC – June 29, 2020

Oh my gosh… we are at the end of another month and we are heading toward Phase 3 in BC. My kid and I went back to Prince George for a few days last week to say hello to friends, be situated in place during virtual convocation at UNBC, and checking in on my place to see how things are going. Of course, it was also an opportunity to be with my kid over a period of time, for my kid to drive on the highway, and for my kid to check out where I live and work. I had a wonderful trip. From Tuesday to Saturday, it was a mom and kid immersion. I loved it. It was a great way to spend quality time with her.

Now we are back on the Sunshine Coast. We bookended our time and she wanted to be back by Sunday. Life did not stop when I headed back to Prince George. I continued to work and learn… virtually, of course. We spent some time checking out Prince George and shopping. My kid had “the best” shopping experience at Walmart. She got the PS4 and panini press she wanted for quite some time. She also got a pink electric toothbrush and some socks. For me, I jumped in and got a 3-quart Instapot for my apartment and some socks too. It was fun integrating work with play and parenthood. I attended a few virtual meetings in addition to some webinars. I watched one last week from BC Campus.

The session is one in a series of Indigenous speakers. I love serendipity because I really felt that I was meant to watch and listen to this webinar. I watched one the week before about a beader who beads as a form of healing and self-understanding. Her story was beautiful and I loved how she was finding her way back to her ancestors. Her earrings were gorgeous and I appreciated how each creation was an original because she would bead with passion and purpose. She beaded from a place of inspiration and storytelling. She always wanted to bead from a good place. Last week’s webinar was about Indigenous spirituality and mental health. This speaker spoke about his story and connecting with an elder in his community, learning more about smudging, and being authentic to self. I loved his story of transformation and his determination to return back to school.

What resonated with me in his talk was the idea that “time does not wait.” Him saying that about himself and his journey tapped my shoulder. He wanted to learn more about his heritage and culture from this elder. Smudging played an important role for him personally and spiritually as he wrestled with his mental health. He was such a happy guy on the webinar. It was proof that what he was doing was aligned to his purpose and being. He wanted to “acquire knowledge” and was driven to learn more. That resonated with me as well. You have to find what you are passionate about and understand why it’s important to you. When you do, then you will be inherently motivated to learn more and delve deep. His alignment to his purpose was so clear… and time will not wait.

There was a commitment to ACTION. I liked that. He was so determined with his mission and vision that nothing would get in his way. I loved that he wanted to learn more from the elder and how smudging impacted his life. It’s these critical moments when one is woke to do something different or take a new trajectory because it’s the right thing to do. It does not have to be something that everyone else is doing. It seems like he was listening to his heart and following the beat to his own drum. I love that conviction. He demonstrated his agency and embraced it. “Time stops for no one.” This is so true. Yet, I feel that I have been burning time as I wait or hope for this woke-moment. I guess I could say that watching this webinar was a moment. It served as a time for reflection.

The pandemic experience had lent itself to major reflection, personally and professionally. Much like blogging, I have to come to a place of inspiration so that I can share my thinking and my story. In some ways, blogging helps me to sort out my thoughts and make them visible. In other ways, I hope that others will ready my blog and share similar experiences to realize that they are not alone in their journey. Blogging is one way that supports my mental health and I am grateful to have this platform to share some of my thoughts and experiences to shed some light but also document my pedagogical journey. I also do this on Twitter and other social media feeds. Expressing myself digitally brings me some solace as an extrovert leading an introverted life as a scholar wannabe.

I am building the plane in the air. My kid has also taught me some lessons during our trip to Prince George. I realized that passion comes from a place of purpose and sometimes your best work comes from that drive. Being provoked is not a bad outcome. In fact, it wakes you up and tampers with what you truly believe in. The fire is stoked and you are tested on what’s important to you and why. If you can’t answer these right away, it’s time to self-assess and reflect once again to get that clarity and make a new plan… a new strategy… to get where you need to be. That’s what I learn from the BC Campus speakers and my kid. I am being sent these messages for a reason. It’s happening. What’s important to me and why? My fire is being stoked and good things are about to happen.

#pandemicreflections #findingmyway #alignment