Where Are You Going?

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” ― Albert Einstein

What a month this has been. Not even half way through June, and so much has happened, is happening, will happen!

My 19 year old son is on the cusp of graduating! I’m so proud of him. He has FASD. If you don’t know what that is, it’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. His birth mother drank while pregnant, causing a great many neurological issues for my sweet boy. That said, he has constantly strived for what he wants. The past week alone he has past his learner’s driving test (YES!) and will finally graduate with his GED that he worked so hard to get. He even has full time work on a farm. To say this momma is proud would be an understatement. I can’t take the credit though. He has been staying with a caregiver who is trained in assisting those with issues like my son’s. She has been my super hero, a guardian angel that swooped in and made life so much better for all of us. My son’s mind is active, he is constantly thinking of what he wants to do with his life, how he wants to do it, where he wants to go, and so on. He has a huge heart, and his spirit shines so bright.

In other news, my parrotlet, Kalypso, has started laying eggs! My budgie, Pi, has become her mate/guardian and even injured himself trying to keep me away. Oh my. The eggs will not be fertile, budgies and parrotlets are from two very different genera. If you’d like to see a little video of them, feel free to head over to my Instagram (link on the sidebar). They are so adorable. The eggs will remain until about 20 days after the last one is laid. If I remove them any sooner, it will cause Kalypso to lay more, and that could be very harmful to her. Parrotlets can lay up to 8 eggs every other day in one breeding season!

Schools almost over for my youngest. He’s so excited to start summer, and we are so fortunate for our lives.

This, then, brings me to a very important current happening, something that needs to be talked about.

Many people in Canada, and around the World, were shocked to hear of the discover of 215 children at a former Residential School. Some calling it a dark part of Canada’s history. What a load of shit. The last Residential school closed in 1996. I graduated in 1992. I graduated university in 1997. I grew up knowing how horrible these children were treated. I don’t know if it’s because of where I was raised of my family dynamic, or that I had friends and loved ones who are First Nations. Maybe a combination of all those and the fact that I have a thirst for knowledge.

My mom’s family (as mentioned in the previous post) is Acadian from Northern New Brunswick. I’m not going to paint it with rainbows and fairy dust, but for the most part I grew up hearing how wonderful First Nations treated Acadians, especially during the horror of the deportations by the English (we know we have family that were separated from us, but we don’t know where they ended up).

My dad’s family is Welsh. My grandparents immigrated to Ontario around 1938/39. My dad’s oldest brother was born in Wales, followed by my dad who was born in Canada. If you don’t know the history of the Welsh, let’s just say the English treated them just as good as they did the Acadians and for centuries longer. The Welsh weren’t allowed to speak their own language, it’s amazing it has survived and now there are many Welsh schools in Wales.

I do know how to speak French, my mother insisted on it. I have struggled to learn Welsh. My dad spoke Welsh at home until he was school aged, then it was all English. He remembers a few words, but not much else.

Why am I explaining my family history in this context? I think because I feel like it shines a light on perspective. I was raised by families who had endured hardships. That being said, I’m white. I completely understand and see my privilege. If you see me on the street, you’re most likely going to judge me by my tattoos or lack of make up, not my skin colour. That is wrong on a level I can’t even put into words. There are those who have been born with this privilege, but they lack the perspective to see and understand it. They lash out with terms that are meant to demean, all the while showing how fragile their own self image truly is.

The fact that First Nations children were so heinously abused for just wanting to speak their mother tongue is absurdly cruel. They were harmed for things any white child would never have been even scolded for. I’ve started to read the names of the dead First Nations children, starting from A. The list is long. My pronunciation is atrocious, I am sure. I will persevere in reading each and every one. Their names deserve to be heard, I just wish their birth names, not Christian moniker, but true First Nations birth names were written therein. Some do, you can tell which ones. It breaks my heart and hurts my soul to see so much pain. I’ve tried to put myself in the shoes of their families, and I can’t. It would quite literally break me if someone stole my children from me and sent them away to such a place.

I’ve said it before, I will say it again – the depths of human depravity never cease to amaze me.

If you want to learn more, please visit The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s page – http://www.trc.ca/index.html. Here you can find more information, resources, children’s books that can help open up a conversation about Residential Schools – I firmly believe they need to be taught this, it is not just of historic importance, it is important CURRENT issue.

My heart is with you. My eyes see you. My mind thinks of you. My spirit weeps with you.

Dave Matthews Band – Where Are You Going

Antiques

“Vintage books, old china, antiques; maybe I love old things so much because I feel impermanent myself.” ― Josh Lanyon, Fatal Shadows      

I LOVE antiques. Maybe it’s because I love history and archaeology. Maybe it’s because I just want a connection with the past. Maybe it’s because I know my life is limited and I want a piece of immortality. Whatever the reason, I love antiques.

I was on vacation last week (yes, that’ why I didn’t post, I was too busy lol) and did a bit of antique shopping. I found a beautiful Sonora phonograph.Sonora2

You should hear it! I’ll have to upload a video of the sound. It’s gorgeous. It cranks up like a dream. I just need to find the missing front doors on it (hoping I can find replacement ones) but I may install a little curtain in the front for now for sound control (one with no hardware).

In case you are wondering, it is sitting on top of my antique singer sewing machine, it’s from about the 1880s, the phonograph from about 1910/15.

Rasputina – Antique High Heel Red Doll Shoes

History repeats

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” Socrates

ummm….Socrates lived about 2500 years ago (469  – 399 BCE), and yet this exact phrase could be said about children today.

It strikes me crazy that in 2500 years we still think of kids the same. In a way, this floors me. I can’t imagine what the great philosopher would think of the younger generation now. Well, the younger North American culture that is. Addicted to electronics, constantly attached to a phone, sitting inside gaming on gorgeous summer days.

It’s insane.

A re-connection with nature is sorely needed. I’ve read this as fact in several places. It’s time to implement it – whether they like it or not.

Another thing too – I was talking to a friend today and she was saying how guilty she felt for being hard on her oldest child and we both agreed that parents now for some reason feel a need to be their child’s friend. I am my child’s parent, not friend.

I am my children’s parent, not friend. I am in charge of loving them and teaching them. I am in charge of caring for them and clothing them, helping them grow, and helping them to become adults eventually. I have to teach them responsibility, respect, honour and trust. I am my children’s parent, not friend. I can be an ear to listen, a shoulder to lean on, a heart to love – but that is because I am MORE than a friend, I am a parent.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Parents Just Don’t Understand

Archaeology

I have two BAs. Yes, really two. The second one was supposed to be a BSc but my fiancé (at the time) convinced me to cut my degree short and do the second BA. It’s one of my biggest regrets

My first BA is in Anthropology and Classical Studies (one more year of the Russian language and I would have had a Russian Minor…grrrr). My second BA is in Archaeology – and therein lies my passion. Forever buried under a mound of forgotten facts, marriage, children, time. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t follow my heart and my dreams.

The life goal before allowing myself to be convinced otherwise (because it was ultimately MY choice) was to get the BSc in Archaeology, then the MA in Roman Archaeology from the University of Cardiff in Wales (I have family nearby, cousins, it would have been awesome), and then I wanted to do a PhD in Roman Archaeology in Italy.

It never happened. Sometimes reading archaeological news is very bittersweet to me. I want to be in the field, I want to dig, survey, map, HOLD the artifacts. However, I’m learning to let go and enjoy what I see. I love history, I love archaeology – in that vein I may begin to post archaeological news stories that I find of interest here.

Here’s a great one out of Egypt from the Cairo Post:

http://www.thecairopost.com/news/146654/culture/ruins-of-egypts-most-ancient-capital-of-memphis-unearthed

Would you not LOVE to be there? I know I would.