The Purpose

Well, it took me a long time to figure out what this blog should be about. I thought about all of the facets of my life: my education, my social life, my emotions, my physical fitness, et cetera. And I have come to the conclusion that I have creative outlets for all of those facets, except for my professional life.

Most people don't know that in addition to being a full-time student and part-time journalist for Second Supper, I'm also a Residential Coordinator for a local agency which provides services to individuals with developmental, physical, and cognitive disabilities. I've worked for two different agencies, serving clients with vastly differing needs and abilities. I've also lived for 13 years with an uncle with Down Syndrome, and have therefore seen much of the day-to-day programming and care that is necessary for working with these incredibly special and unique individuals.

This is a field I was born into. My grandmother started the first school in this region for individuals with disabilities, and serving our community has been a tradition my family has carried on through several generations and various branches of our family tree.

I hope to regularly update this blog with vignettes from the history of the care of the variously disabled, personal experiences derived from my work, advice or tactics I have encountered or developed, and related political activism.

Please keep living the dream of education and equality as it applies to this population of people. While it is our purpose to help them help themselves, it is their purpose to teach us about ourselves.

001.

Well, since blogging seems to be the thing du jour, I figured I'd try my hand with this new-fangled contraption.

I'm sitting inside on this loverly day, enjoying an entirely stress free afternoon. It's a totally foreign concept; since September I've been stressing about papers, tests, and assignments, and I now have three glorious months to look forward to entirely sans schoolwork. However, I almost wish I could begin the new semester already--the sooner it begins, the sooner it will end, and the closer I will be to having that really expensive piece of paper in my hand to nail to my wall or make a really sturdy paper airplace out of.

Alas, I must say goodbye to the lack of stress come tomorrow, since I still need to find a job for the summer. Damn this economy.

I guess that's all for now. I'm not sure yet what I will use this blog for, other than my pointless ramblings and perhaps posting interesting links I come across. Tata for now.