Happy Halloween! Given that this is the most commercialized non-holiday day in the Universe, most everyone expects me to write a blog where I tell some cheesy ghost story, or something weird like that. I don't really consider Halloween a worthy enough theme to write about, so therefore I've decided Fridays will be a blog day where I will answer three questions posed to me by readers of this blog. This being the first Friday of my "Blitz Me" blog, I asked three trusted friends to pose tough questions to me, which I will write about hopefully covering the entire question and not rambling on. These questions can be completely random, and I will do my best to answer them without having to do days of research, these are my honest opinions.
1. From Taiyo in Hawaii- Given the state of the World Economy, do you foresee a depression sized recession in the imminent future?
I don't see the recession going much further quite honestly. I think the worst has hit. The Worldwide economy is controlled mostly by the US, and if history is any determining pattern, we are about to see a switch in philosophy. In 1980, Jimmy Carter was marred in a huge economic mess, not all brought on by his Presidency, but none the less, couldn't shake it. Ronald Regan won the 1980 election, Americans became hopeful, and that ushered in a roaring 1980's where the economy soared. In 1992, Senior Bush, had hit the wall, and recession was looming, the economy stalled, and the best President in American history Bill Clinton took the reigns, inspired hope, and happiness and prosperity, and Americans began spending and the economy roared for something like 8 straight years until 9/11.
Today, after 8 years of incompetence from George Bush, the US economy is again in the same spot it found it self in 1980, and 1992, and if polls are any indication, Barrack Obama will bring a similar vision of hope and prosperity, and in the first 6 months of his term we will see a major economic shift. This will be the end of the recession talk by May of 2009, and will see a return to exciting, happy people throughout North America. That's my two cents.
In Canada, the 80 cent dollar, is fantastic. We export a majority of our Natural Resources for American Dollars, and making an extra 20cents on the dollar is much healthier for our economy. Oil prices falling does have a slight negative effect on our economy, however the average Canadian who is driving daily appreciates gas at a dollar per litre rather than at $1.40.
2. From Gwen in Toronto- What is your take on the dynamics of True love, why is it so hard to find?
I chuckled when I read this one, because anybody who knows me knows I'm a hopeless romantic who believes in true love, but isn't sure if it will ever exist for me. Here's my take, comparing love to something I actually know a lot about.
Love is like the foundation of a building. The feelings two people share, the attraction and the chemistry is what the foundation of that building is made of. The two individuals are the two side-walls, and the two joining walls are honesty and commitment. In between there is floors, and maybe, layers (0r floors) or load baring pillars that constitute tolerance to bad habits, like smoking, drinking, being perpetually late, an inability to let go of Ghosts from the past (that's my one halloween reference). You get the point, the love is symbolic of the building, people will walk by when the building is new and marvel at how great it looks, and how the construction fits in with the look of the area. That sort of thing. Love is real when two people can forgive anything and grow together through hardships, not drift apart in the tough times, only to come back when times are good and great.
Now, for that building to stand forever, and be a marvel of the landscape, it needs to be able to withstand natural disasters, and long term effects of weather, and depreciation. So does the relationship. In a perfect world, a true love can withstand anything. Anything at all. And in a perfect world that love gets stronger with time, not weaker. I think that is the dynamics of a perfect love story.
And that's not to say a true love can't break down for a time, every building needs a renovation. But if two people ever truly loved each other, their path will always find a way back to each other. In answering that question I thought of 3 couples in particular and if they read this as individuals they know exactly who I am talking about.
Naturally, I haven't found that love, damn it.... Still looking.
3. What was your best Halloween costume ever from Danielle in Montreal.
I dressed up as a stripper one year for a boyfriend, it was a private party of two, and it was a pretty simple costume, I just had to put on some clothes that were real easy to take off. He loved it, and it took me all of a half an hour to put together. I probably got costume of the year in his eyes, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Feel free to post your questions in my comment section or e-mail them directly to me at irenedellaveres@yahoo.ca.
Thanks for reading. Hope my opinions help.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
A Real Headache
I had originally planned to write a blog about Re-inventing Yourself, inspired by Liberal Leader Stephane Dion's recent resignation, however, something major has changed in my life, and I wanted to blog about that instead, and will revisit the redefining of a personality.
One of my favorite people in the world is my buddy from out West. I've know him for almost one calender year, and in that time, I've always looked forward to his next e-mail, phone call or visit. He's one of a kind. He's got more personality than I have ever seen. He's as funny as the best stand-up comedian. His life and stories are like the greatest movies I've ever seen, and his attention to detail has proven accurate time and time again and takes me right to the moment that he lived. To boot, he's apparently single, and is nothing short of hot. This guy is in Winnipeg in case you wanted to know! Oh I forgot to mention, he's sincere, honest to a fault, and a handsome devil, and he carries it with unparalleled charisma. He's the catch of all catches, the guy you consider yourself lucky to have as a friend, and he cherishes his family. And who would have guessed he suffers from brain-damage?
You wouldn't know it to talk to him, he's got no visible signs at all, and short of regular migraine headaches which incapacitate him, he really has only limited symptoms. Sometimes he'll lose focus of the subject he's talking about mid-sentence, or he'll forget something that he remembers 10 seconds later, or he'll get dizzy and need to sit down for a minute. But beyond those simple symptoms, you can't tell at all that my friend is suffering from Post Concussion Syndrome, and it's not something he likes to talk about at this point, because he considers it a disability.
Obviously my friend is a proud person. And while he was first told of PCS in 2002, after believing he had suffered numerous concussions playing high school sports, and wrestling pro-style (similar to WWE, but more like minor league), which was a high risk activity given his concussion history. The guy lived in denial until recently befriending a nurse, who after seeing the effects these serious migraines accompanied my friend to the doctor and pushed for the doctor to refer my buddy to a Neurologist, and got him a CT Scan. The results were astounding, and shocking that a man who is in his late 20's now suffers from the term "Brain Damage". And I began researching Post Concussion Syndrome, and Brain Injuries in general.
Now the part that scares me the most. 2 months ago, my friend was in a car accident, where he rear-ended the car in front of him. Since that day, and until the day that the Neurologist confirmed that he suffered from Post Concussion Syndrome, and on what seemed to be a daily basis, my friend complained of "stress headaches". I can only imagine what it must feel like to go through day in and day out with a migraine headache, one that slows you down, and makes you tired. One that takes your mind off of the important focuses, such as daily tasks. And yet, like a trooper my friend persevered and performed better than ever. All the while going through a stressful personal crisis, that he's handled with pure strength, and not let it get him down.
To further complicate things, Friday in the early AM hours he was in a vehicle that was in yet another car accident. Going only 55kms per hour, the car hit a boulevard on a bridge on the front right side of the car, causing the passenger, my buddy, to suffer from a sore neck and headache for the last couple of days. To say that this is the scariest situation I've ever seen my friend in is a complete understatement. And makes me thankful for all that I have including having him in my life, something I have come to depend on regularly for friendly advice, or pep talks, inspiration and motivation.
Shockingly, and I guess luckily, my friend still has all the faculties that made him who he is. He's still got the charisma, charm and sense of humour. He still looks amazing, he still can have the most intelligent of conversations with anyone from Politicians, to bankers, to bosses, to friendsm to children. My friend is the most fortunate person in the world, and I hope he embraces his good fortune and focuses on living life safer, and relishing the gifts god has blessed him with.
So what can my good friend expect in the future? Regular headaches, short term memory gaps (where things will not come to his mind quickly, but not affect his long-term memory, he will temporarily lose things in his head). He can't push himself as hard as he'd like in the gym, he has to manage his stress better. He will take high dosage pain medication when the headaches are unbearable. He will need to ensure that he limits his risk for future head injuries, as Post Concussion Syndrome is a compound affect of numerous concussions.
Will he live a normal life? Yeah that's a complete likely hood. Thank God for that.
To those who have suffered from head injuries, and now have what seem to be far too regular headaches, it's time to consult your doctor and push him for the answers. My friend used to brush off his headaches to fatigue, or caffeine with drawl, or stress. And all the while he was suffering from actual brain damage.
The irony of the whole thing, is through his charitable efforts in Winnipeg, my friend has volunteered on numerous occasions to help Manitoba Brain Injury Association. He's good that way.
One of my favorite people in the world is my buddy from out West. I've know him for almost one calender year, and in that time, I've always looked forward to his next e-mail, phone call or visit. He's one of a kind. He's got more personality than I have ever seen. He's as funny as the best stand-up comedian. His life and stories are like the greatest movies I've ever seen, and his attention to detail has proven accurate time and time again and takes me right to the moment that he lived. To boot, he's apparently single, and is nothing short of hot. This guy is in Winnipeg in case you wanted to know! Oh I forgot to mention, he's sincere, honest to a fault, and a handsome devil, and he carries it with unparalleled charisma. He's the catch of all catches, the guy you consider yourself lucky to have as a friend, and he cherishes his family. And who would have guessed he suffers from brain-damage?
You wouldn't know it to talk to him, he's got no visible signs at all, and short of regular migraine headaches which incapacitate him, he really has only limited symptoms. Sometimes he'll lose focus of the subject he's talking about mid-sentence, or he'll forget something that he remembers 10 seconds later, or he'll get dizzy and need to sit down for a minute. But beyond those simple symptoms, you can't tell at all that my friend is suffering from Post Concussion Syndrome, and it's not something he likes to talk about at this point, because he considers it a disability.
Obviously my friend is a proud person. And while he was first told of PCS in 2002, after believing he had suffered numerous concussions playing high school sports, and wrestling pro-style (similar to WWE, but more like minor league), which was a high risk activity given his concussion history. The guy lived in denial until recently befriending a nurse, who after seeing the effects these serious migraines accompanied my friend to the doctor and pushed for the doctor to refer my buddy to a Neurologist, and got him a CT Scan. The results were astounding, and shocking that a man who is in his late 20's now suffers from the term "Brain Damage". And I began researching Post Concussion Syndrome, and Brain Injuries in general.
Now the part that scares me the most. 2 months ago, my friend was in a car accident, where he rear-ended the car in front of him. Since that day, and until the day that the Neurologist confirmed that he suffered from Post Concussion Syndrome, and on what seemed to be a daily basis, my friend complained of "stress headaches". I can only imagine what it must feel like to go through day in and day out with a migraine headache, one that slows you down, and makes you tired. One that takes your mind off of the important focuses, such as daily tasks. And yet, like a trooper my friend persevered and performed better than ever. All the while going through a stressful personal crisis, that he's handled with pure strength, and not let it get him down.
To further complicate things, Friday in the early AM hours he was in a vehicle that was in yet another car accident. Going only 55kms per hour, the car hit a boulevard on a bridge on the front right side of the car, causing the passenger, my buddy, to suffer from a sore neck and headache for the last couple of days. To say that this is the scariest situation I've ever seen my friend in is a complete understatement. And makes me thankful for all that I have including having him in my life, something I have come to depend on regularly for friendly advice, or pep talks, inspiration and motivation.
Shockingly, and I guess luckily, my friend still has all the faculties that made him who he is. He's still got the charisma, charm and sense of humour. He still looks amazing, he still can have the most intelligent of conversations with anyone from Politicians, to bankers, to bosses, to friendsm to children. My friend is the most fortunate person in the world, and I hope he embraces his good fortune and focuses on living life safer, and relishing the gifts god has blessed him with.
So what can my good friend expect in the future? Regular headaches, short term memory gaps (where things will not come to his mind quickly, but not affect his long-term memory, he will temporarily lose things in his head). He can't push himself as hard as he'd like in the gym, he has to manage his stress better. He will take high dosage pain medication when the headaches are unbearable. He will need to ensure that he limits his risk for future head injuries, as Post Concussion Syndrome is a compound affect of numerous concussions.
Will he live a normal life? Yeah that's a complete likely hood. Thank God for that.
To those who have suffered from head injuries, and now have what seem to be far too regular headaches, it's time to consult your doctor and push him for the answers. My friend used to brush off his headaches to fatigue, or caffeine with drawl, or stress. And all the while he was suffering from actual brain damage.
The irony of the whole thing, is through his charitable efforts in Winnipeg, my friend has volunteered on numerous occasions to help Manitoba Brain Injury Association. He's good that way.
Monday, October 13, 2008
First Ever Blog
I realise that there is a good chance that not too many people will actually read my blog, because it's not like I have anything worth while to say in most people's lives, but if a couple of good friends read this blog and get something from it, it will be well worth my time. And if not, I still will enjoy writing every word.
Mistakes are something everybody makes in life. Some of them are driving mistakes, some of them are mental mistakes, some of them are mistakes where we take the wrong path in life, and we look back and say if we'd only gone left instead of right, life would be so much different.
I think most of those mistakes in one's paths come from not knowing what you've got when you have it, and realizing it when it's long gone. "The Grass is Always Greener" right? Not always. When I resigned from my job a month or so ago, I left believing that my plan to see the world was inspired and going to be the time of my life. And it still may in fact be, but for the first time in my life, I'm close to wimping out, because I find myself a minor bit overwhelmed at the thought. Everything in my life is changing, and that's uncharacteristic of who I am.
I think another major mistake people make is when they end a friendship, or a relationship, or allow a rift to take away a connection with a family member. When any of this happens, it has to be done for the right reasons, and not the wrong. I am a believer that I can forgive and forget anything and become a stronger friend, sister or lover for having embraced forgiveness. And realize, the good always outweighs the bad that someone can do or has done. If you only remember the bad, you'll always be consumed with the negatives, but when you remember the greatness in somebody that was supposed to be amazing in your life at some-point, you should have no problem living life happy. And you'll never resent a moment of your life, and when you run into someone who's drifted from your life, it will be a hug and a pleasant feeling, as opposed to an uneasy stressful feeling.
Why such a depressing topic? No worries, I'm not depressed or sad or anything. I'm just really reflective of my world today, and want people to think about what amounts to mistakes in their life. One of my closest friends in the world, proves to be accountable everyday, because he's in touch with his mistakes. He reminds himself of the mistake and uses it to learn from. And he's one of the most reasonable people I know. He's also one of the most intelligent, charming, articulate and funny people I know. He's an all-around great person.
I don't want people to overly dwell on their mistakes though. Being conscious of what they are, and knowing what it takes to correct them if they so choose to, is more than enough. I believe this is a key to living a healthy, and productive lifestyle. And that's just my two cents.
So on a day where we're all supposed to be thankful for something, I'm thankful that I see the mistakes I've been making, and now I've got some correcting to do.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mistakes are something everybody makes in life. Some of them are driving mistakes, some of them are mental mistakes, some of them are mistakes where we take the wrong path in life, and we look back and say if we'd only gone left instead of right, life would be so much different.
I think most of those mistakes in one's paths come from not knowing what you've got when you have it, and realizing it when it's long gone. "The Grass is Always Greener" right? Not always. When I resigned from my job a month or so ago, I left believing that my plan to see the world was inspired and going to be the time of my life. And it still may in fact be, but for the first time in my life, I'm close to wimping out, because I find myself a minor bit overwhelmed at the thought. Everything in my life is changing, and that's uncharacteristic of who I am.
I think another major mistake people make is when they end a friendship, or a relationship, or allow a rift to take away a connection with a family member. When any of this happens, it has to be done for the right reasons, and not the wrong. I am a believer that I can forgive and forget anything and become a stronger friend, sister or lover for having embraced forgiveness. And realize, the good always outweighs the bad that someone can do or has done. If you only remember the bad, you'll always be consumed with the negatives, but when you remember the greatness in somebody that was supposed to be amazing in your life at some-point, you should have no problem living life happy. And you'll never resent a moment of your life, and when you run into someone who's drifted from your life, it will be a hug and a pleasant feeling, as opposed to an uneasy stressful feeling.
Why such a depressing topic? No worries, I'm not depressed or sad or anything. I'm just really reflective of my world today, and want people to think about what amounts to mistakes in their life. One of my closest friends in the world, proves to be accountable everyday, because he's in touch with his mistakes. He reminds himself of the mistake and uses it to learn from. And he's one of the most reasonable people I know. He's also one of the most intelligent, charming, articulate and funny people I know. He's an all-around great person.
I don't want people to overly dwell on their mistakes though. Being conscious of what they are, and knowing what it takes to correct them if they so choose to, is more than enough. I believe this is a key to living a healthy, and productive lifestyle. And that's just my two cents.
So on a day where we're all supposed to be thankful for something, I'm thankful that I see the mistakes I've been making, and now I've got some correcting to do.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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