- am feeling scared for the semester, not only is it a lot of work but there is also a lot of things that I need to schedule outside of class time....for the first time I'm thankful that I'm not allowed to work in this country and not bitter
- this semester's lineup----Integrated Counseling Process (learning a million things about sitting with clients for 3 hours a week and then practice those with a small group for another 3 hours a week), Crisis Intervention and Trauma Healing, Group Counseling, Practicum (more on that later), Human Development, and Spirituality and Religion in Counseling
- Christian and I are trying not to be freaked out that we have to watch a baby being born in our next HD class......his aunt teaches it so we were trying to see if we could opt out, she said we could but called us wimps at the same time in a nice counselor way of course :) I understand the importance of this so I'll do it and probably love all of you that have had to go through this even more
- looking forward to ICP I'm really going to learn a lot, however it's going to be a huge amount of work
- for the crisis class we each had to pick a topic and do a massive presentation on it, I got sexual assault and rape and I was thankful for this since this is what I feel as though I'm being called to in my world
- practicum is 100 hours (40 direct with clients and 60 indirect) and I have already begun mine....I'm going to be working with Safe Spaces which is a group for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) students on campus. It is an activist and surface level support group that operates all over Canada and the US. It gives LGBTQ persons and allies a place to meet each week that is safe, even at EMU the meeting place and time are kept secret. So I will be attending the meetings weekly, starting a support group for those LGBTQ persons who are interested, and doing some one on one counseling out of the bigger issues that arise in the group context with those that are willing....BIG assignment, but I'm super pumped about it and I'm going to learn lots....that will be a weird moment when I meet with my first client....eek I can't wait
- flights back to the 'burg were uneventful thankfully, although I hate Dash 8 (prop) planes
- Erica picked me up at Dulles and we went out for lunch/breakfast at Cracker Barrel, which is a country cookery kind of place....basically take any country cookery that you can think of in Moncton and add loads of butter and weird things that you wouldn't even understand and you've got Cracker Barrel....so wanting to emerge myself back into my now southern ties I decided to get the big country breakfast that had everything from gritts to fried apples to biscuits and gravy....Erica was having a ball with my uncertainty of the food and not even knowing how to eat it....I will never order that again because I'm clearly not meant to eat that stuff and my heart can't take it :)
- had some friends going through some rough stuff this week and was thankful that I could support them in that, however I got whacked with something myself on Wednesday night so then started feeling like I dropped the ball....thank God for counselors!
- missing my home, it was hard coming back to my room after being in my house for three weeks
- apparently Trooper has adjusted quite well to me being gone....Jason didn't know how to answer that questions when I asked it "Erin if I tell you that he's fine you'll be sad, but if I tell you that he's acting out and not okay you'll be sad." Good point!
- I really want to go to Disney!!!!!!
- think that's it....hope you all are enjoying the freezing...it's been +10-13 here these past couple of days not that I'm bragging or anything...ha ha ha
January 16, 2010
Week 1....
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted something. I can't even begin to explain to you how busy I've been since I got back.....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
Apparently I only comment when you're in Virginia...
A couple things...
Watching a birth... good luck to you sister. I think watching it in our prenatal class was almost as traumatic as experiencing it. Ok, not quite, but still. I hope it's graphic :)
LGBTQ... I thought the Q was for questionning? It's for queer? Really? Isn't that like, insensitive or something?
What are grits exactly? I don't get it. Are they hashbrowns?
Thanks for updating us all on your first week. Sounds jam packed!
apparently :) Perhaps it's because when I'm in Canada you're usually a participant in the events? I don't know...
You're a douche...you're supposed to tell me that it's not going to be that big of a deal and that it's a beautiful thing...GREAT!
I KNOW about the Q...crazy huh? Ya i messed that up...they actually were using that word in the meeting. I think that is something that I will have a hard time using because it does not seem PC at all!
Grits are a form of corn I think...I don't know...they're good though (Erica do you know?). I had had them before this experience because my step mother used to make them with cheese in them...yum! It has an oatmeal consistency, so no not like hashbrowns.
Thanks for the comment, even though you are excited about Christian and I being traumatized!
Erin,
I don't think I could watch a birth...just sayin'. And, I've had 2 doozies.
I'm so glad that you took a moment to update us. I've been checking in, and hoping you're okay.
Been to Cracker Barrell myself! They want you to buy a lot of stuff there. We brought home the little bottle of syrup. Cute, right?
I was curious about the Q, too. Werid.
Saw Jason today. I really like his beard. :o)
Miss you. Can't believe that we didn't get together...
My back/leg are beginning to recover. Thank goodness.
Love you.
Actually, I don't think I could watch one now, having gone through 2...and one was quite dramatic since Mac almost didn't make it. I think that's why. I could have watched it before, I think, when I would have been more detatched, and not in need of counselling. :o)
Really, you'll be fine. Really.
And, I could always use some more adoration, love, respect, awesomeness from you. How will I get that if you don't watch it?!
I hope that you get to go to Disney!
To be honest, watching the birth video in our prenatal class made me want to be sick, but I think it's because I realized that that's what having a baby was all about. On the plus side, Ben, who wouldn't have to HAVE the baby thought the video was cool and told me when it was safe to look again.
Your practicum sounds... interesting.
grits? I don't know that anyone has ever found out exactly what they are.. just a hot mushy cereal that tastes fairly bland. You can tell I love them.. :)
I was ok about watching this birthing video until I read all these comments! Geeze. At least the class will handle it maturely, eh? ;)
I did some research on the LGBTQ last year and the men were saying they actually prefer 'queer' over other names. thought that was interesting.
This post has produced quite a load of material to work with... I don't know where to begin! Grits... Queer... Babies... WOW! Maybe it's best if I just say I miss you and Erica... Please get my wife hooked on having gravy at breakfast!!!! You would hold a special place in my heart if you could make that happen...
Erin, if you can watch a lobotomy, you can watch a birth! Presumably they won't choose a traumatic birth experience like Debie's. You'll be fine. (^_^)
I think the deal with queer is that the GLBT community has reclaimed the word to take away it's power as a slur. Think of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
Hmmmmm... gravy for breakfast... ugh.
Hope you have a great semester, even if it's looking a little intimidating right now.
Wow, thanks for all the comments everyone!
Deb: you're really not helping with me wanting to watch a birth...sheesh! :) I am okay, just busy. So glad to hear that your leg/back is doing better. I was hoping that was the case and I'm sorry that I never checked in on you any further than that. I like the beard too, as long as he keeps it trimmed. I don't want a marathon beard starting while I'm gone. Oh, like I said, I'm sure you'll get more love from this chick when Thursday is all said and done. We're getting together in March...should we book a date now? :)
Rachel: Thanks for hoping I go to Disney, but unfortunately the Constable household cannot afford that right now :( I'm dreaming of going there for Christmas, but it will never happen. Another one not helping with the baby video. Sheesh I was hoping that you guys (I almost said ya'll here YIKES) would all tell me that I'll be fine.
Erica: Ya you aren't a grits fan, and I'm still not sure how adding butter to them would have made them better? Ha ha ha I know eh? They are all REALLY making me not want to watch it now. Hmmmm thanks for perspective on the Q, makes sense.
Jason: Ha ha ha you're funny. The way you wrote that makes it look like you're saying that you miss Erica and I. That Yutzky, she's irresitible (I don't think I spelled that right). Jason it was gross and I'm never eating it again. In fact, I'm taking you there when you come down and seeing if you can even handle it. I'm sure though with the sweet tea you'll be washing it down with you'll be fine. Everything tastes awesome with sweet tea.
And last but not least Mel: That is a good point about the lobotomy. However, I know I'm never going to have a lobotomy, a baby though is possible. SO I think that's where it may be a bit different. Regardless these people who have had babies on here aren't making me feel better. I notice you didn't say anything about it :) Yes that makes sense about the Q. I think my gang days though are going to make this difficult for me to embrace the usage of that word. Ya it's gross, don't do it. Thanks Mel, same to you!
Alright, alright ... I'm about to go all earth-mama on you, but you asked for it! Birth videos don't freak me out at all (unless it was something very traumatic). I felt calm and confident about birthing going into both deliveries. I figured that having babies is a natural process that women all around the world have done for all of human history. It sometimes goes wrong, but goes fine most of the time, and I had medical folks on hand to help out if anything should take a turn for the worse. I wasn't naive -- I had a younger brother born prematurely who died -- but I decided to look at the chances of things going badly from the half-full perspective.
I consider my birthing experiences to have been awesome, even if they didn't go one hundred percent as I envisioned (they never do!). Of course it's painful, but I felt that I knew what was happening in body and why it was happening, and had worked hard beforehand at developing the ability to relax my muscles in the midst of the pain, which made the whole thing go more smoothly. Mitch had said it was hard to hear me in so much pain, but my noises had less to do with freaking out because of pain and more to do with the amount of effort the process took. And it isn't purposeless pain -- it's productive and there's something so worth it at the end, so that changed my perspective on it.
Sheesh. I should get my own blog, eh?
And maybe do some homework instead of filling up friends' blogs with comments.
Mel: thanks for going all earth-mama :) feel free to fill my blog up with comments whenever. THanks for the perspective. I remember Mandi talking about the different stages of pain and how she knew what those were in the moment. It sounds like it is very helpful to know what your body is going through in order to make it to the next step. Regardless I'm thankful I won't be going through this any time soon, but when I do I'll be chatting with you for some perspective! :)
(^_^)
Post a Comment