Accountability

Todays picture is from the year 2004. The key theme for this picture is all about accountability. My daughter (as is human nature) has the tendancy to shift blame to anyone but herself. We are all guilty of it...but when it comes right down to it - what makes us better people is the degree to which we take responsibility for our actions (in all the forms it can take).

When I saw one of my students wearing this shirt while excavating in Jordan - I begged her to give it to me so I could give it to my daughter. Getting home after being away for 2 months in the desert - its great to have a gift that you KNOW the recipient is going to love. My daughter wore this shirt for a week straight I think. It was definately one of my favourites.

Its funny what people will wear, put on their car bumpers, name their boats, tatoo on their bodies, etc. Its all about marketing...what we subscribe to, what we believe in and so on. It is so important to us as individuals - that we want others to know it to. We want it to define us. Sometimes thats a good thing - sometimes not...but at any rate "whatever it is...I didn't do it"!

STAY THIRSTY.

Big Shoes To Fill

Today my daughter graduates from Grade 7! I can't believe it - can she really be that old? It seems like just yesterday I was feeding her really gross baby food (green peas? yuck!) and changing diapers (I was pretty good...once I got the hang of it). All the same, this morning she left the house and I congratulated her on finishing Grade 7 with honours and distinction (she won 7 awards - academic and leadership based).

It got me to thinking though - expectations aside...what kind of shoes is she going to fill? (mind you...she has pretty big feet, so it shouldn't be a problem) I shy away from asking her what she is wanting to be when she grows up because everytime I do she says something silly like - "I want to be a singing archaeologist" - which as you can imagine could be a challenging combination. Nevertheless, as she gets older it is becoming clear that she is making some plans and setting goals for herself - that is what makes me proud! She is creating her own shoes to fill...not the ones that I have made for her - and that's the way it should be.

Ok - now on to the picture. This photo was taken sometime in late 1997 or early 1998 when we were living on Sussex Ave. in Toronto while I was in grad school. She is wearing her mothers shoes (and is a habit that she hasn't quite shaken as I hear discussions all the time about shoe borrowing around the house). On the floor you can see books - which isn't suprising since she is a voracious reader now...going through books like they are nothing. Though I do question her recent facination with vampires and warewolves...whatever happened to the Romans!!??

The years we lived on Sussex were some of the best for us...and while it was graduate student living...meagre bugdgets, long nights at the library and in the lab - it was all worth it.

We all have big shoes to fill - the expectations of our parents, our friends, our children...but most importantly - ourselves. The degree to which we are able to balance all of that and stay sane...is the degree to which we are truly satisfied and productive members of society.

Stay Thirsty....