This month marked the 10th anniversary of my convocation with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph. In some ways it seems like it was yesterday; in others, it seems like it was a lifetime ago.
Ten years ago, everything was very much uncertain. I knew I wanted to remain in Guelph because it had more to appeal to a single man in his early twenties than my hometown; but I was also short of funds & wasn’t having any luck finding a job. I was burnt out on schooling & relieved to be done as I had failed to earn the grades for an Honours degree & had to accept a General degree instead; nevertheless, I was still full of hope & thought that once I found a job I would flourish. I was also confident that, in short order, my romantic loneliness would end and I would find a life partner within the next few years.
In many ways, the following ten years would consist of a lot of growth & change for the better. I attended Conestoga College starting in the fall after convocation and graduated with distinction from the Office Administration program with a lot more practical skills; I deepened my knowledge & faith practice through both Campus Ministry & joining a church congregation; I started studying a more traditional style of Tai Chi & deepened my martial arts practice; I found other communities & job such as the neurodiverse community in the ADHD & Spectrum Centre & Loyobo FIT. In short, I grew in confidence, self-awareness, knowledge, and self-control. While romantic relationships remained elusive, I did at least start going on dates.
Thus, contrasting who I was ten years ago to who I am today, I find myself largely content with changes I’ve made, the practices I’ve developed & deepened, the communities I have found, and the person I have become. It is definitely not where I imagined myself being at that time, but the past 10 years have been so much fuller & richer than my imagination allowed for. I am proud of myself for the challenges I have overcome, & I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years bring.
The Dreamers' Corner 