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hillo_09
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Name: Hillary
Country: Canada
Metro: Toronto
Gender: Female
Interests: reading the bible, reading different christian perspectives on social minitries, hanging out with friends, quiltting, the news, anything and everything, writing, etc.
Expertise: I work at various homeless shelters in Toronto and have a deep passion for urban and social ministries. I have passion to reach out and help people through the hands of God. I cannot dance, sing nor can I act but I can be myself and see what others have to say!
Occupation: Student
Industry: Nonprofit
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
MSN: hmcmurren@hotmail.com
Yahoo:  hmcmurren@yahoo.com
Member Since:
2/2/2006
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| "Into the Sunset" You rode into the world early in the morning, Looking for adventure and laughter from all you met. Never was there a moment spent with you that was boring, Your mark in this world was already set. From your gentle spirit and simple outlook, Your presence captured our hearts, just like your grin. All of your experiences could be in a book, But they are better told from all of your kin. There is much that you taught us over the years, From throwing water balloons, to following the news. As each person sends you love and cheers, With every lollipop and Canadian Draft from the crews. Life brought adventure your way, Just as you gave more to the world than you had received. Both family and friends agree that each day, You are riding into the sunset. | | |
| I have been back in classes at York University for eight and half weeks now. It has been nothing bu t essay after essay!
There are six weeks left of this school year, and the countdown has begun too.
Patiently, I wait to hear the decision from the admissions department regarding my application to return to social work studies in September.
So, the other universities in Ontario are writing exams as I write this, and us York students are still attending classes. We had our three month vacation! 
I have not been in communication much with people these days, as I have been chained to my outdated assignments from York.
A big hello and high five to my Family and Friends out there in different parts of the world, as I sit here at the paper mill steaming away at finishing each essay.
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| This is what there has been time to do while awaiting for the strike to end!
Thinking about the past; future; and of course, the present. What life has brought so far, and how to deal with these present circumstances that seem to eat away at me like a brick wall being built by a bricklayer. Six weeks of no classes; still no end in sight. That seems to be my circling thought these days. People, I encounter at work, and other places ask how things are going; but it seems near impossible to answer that question because things are the same as they were the previous time they asked this. Not the people's fault that life is going back and forth like a tennis ball on the court these days. This seems to be my metaphor for the yorku strike - the students are the tennis ball between the administration and the CUPE 3903 union. It very hard taking a neutral position upon these events, as I have tried to maintain, given that I am an undergraduate student. I am not against the strike, as I understand the collective bargaining process; however, it seems that they are playing with my EDUCATION.
I apologize for the capital letters. It is hard staying calm while the uncertainity of not knowing when the moment will occur that we actually get to or are allowed to proceed with our classes. It has been my intention throughout these six weeks to maintain a neutral position because accomplishing my education has been a very deep goal that has resided within me for a very long time now. I do not want to see anything hinder that event. I aspire to graduate, and finally obtain that social work degree. This is something that I cannot properly and clearly express in words. More than that, I do not want to feel lost anymore.
This is one of the disadvantages that I have found during these six weeks. Feeling lost and having no absolute footing or idea or plan of what is going to happen or transpire. That is one of the things that has always caused me to attempt to avoid - the feeling of being lost or uncertain of what is going to happen. It is as if I need to have one hand on the dock and one foot in the water. Yes, there is the faith that has seemed to for one reason or another hold my feet steadfast within Jesus. It just seems that lately, the whole world is turned upside down.
So, as the whole world appears to be upside down, as if on the ceiling. Or think of my words through this way, like you are walking through a thick, choatic, forest with paths at every turn through the trees and you can hardly see the light of the sky through the canopy of the embelms of the forest's top like that of the congo or the rainforest. Wondering through an upside down; crowded forest like period during this strike seems to have also had me having blinders in front of my eyes. With no way of seeing the lines in front on the road leading to the end of the tunnel. Towards graduation, closing this prologue only to walk into another escapede to find another road leading to more adventures and helping more people with God's grace. Oh want a nice thought. Except, that thought keeps getting popped, and then reality sinks in - the professors and TAs are on strike and things are not running as smoothly as they should - like a stream engine from the industrial era - or from the plowing matches that occur within the 4H areas of Canada.
Feeling lost right now, I remain, and it seems that the more that these days of the undergraduate education tottle on, I miss my family more and more, along with the chance of seeing their lives blossom and enjoy their laughter and love. That is the only things that is what has ached within my being the most during this period of attempting to obtain my undergraduate education. Loosing out on being with my family each day, or near them during the holidays. This period as been both a segment of growth and challenges for me, as I have grown more aware that there is more in the world than the little corner of Essex County. But I would love to glue all of the regions of Essex County with the rest of the world with superglue and cement, so that there would not be a moment lost with my family, each every one of them.
So, the strike will continue into seven weeks within a fews days making it near two months. SCARY! The world will continue on and Christmas will arrive, having us once again to stop and recognize that there is more than just this world to value. However, there appears to have been a line drawn the moment that the strike started that everything else has been put on hold until it is finished. I am one that is for social justice and seeing there be right by all but some times situations can be hard to understand. And that is what this period is right now - hard to understand. Life is on hold until school resumes, I guess. This is one of the periods that makes it more adament to finish these degrees so that the joy and love of my Family can be viewed once again and that I can finally be able to witness them growing as individuals and as a whole.
Merry Christmas Everyone. And for enjoyment for everyone no matter what their circumstances are to enjoy their family.
 Hillary.
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| I am finding it very difficult to wait until this strike is over with to find out what assignments are to be done. I have not felt this uncertain about not knowing what is going on since the summer before grade eleven started. That was when I did not work. That was also when I started to have a dissatisfaction with playing monopoly. Anyway, it has been very hard sitting back and not being able to proceed with my education or interacting with my classmates and professors.
To top it all off, I am getting very restless with the possibility that this strike will extent into January. It just seems that five weeks of this strike is enough, and is now appearing to a waste of time. And also a waste of tutition money. It also really gets me discouraged because every time that it appears I am closer to achieving something, there is always an obstacle in the way. When will this madness ever end. There was the obstacle of transferring to another school which turned out to be a blessing, and the obstacle of having to transfer degrees which oddly enough turned out to be a really smart move. I finally have the chance to apply to the social work program to finish my BSW and than this strike occurred. I really want to finish what I came to Toronto to do in the first place to receive my social work education. I just did not expect it to take this long or this much energy to accomplish this.
I do not know how much more I can take - when will this strike end? I have emailed Premier Dalton McGunity; the MPP in the willowdale area; the President of the university; and the union - however, there seems to have been no response to ending this strike. I have even been praying several times a day for this strike to end. So, I have just about given up in wondering when this strike will end.
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| 23 days; 4 essays; 20 volunteer placement hours; and 4 books later - the strike ventures on with no classes in sight!
I have enjoyed taking the time to read some non school books for a change, and being able to finally have a fixed schedule with sleep. However, this time of year is usually when I finish with fall classes and prepare for exams. The preparation for the exams is complete, but, it looks like the exams are going to be held in 2009 rather than next week. As the strike goes on, I can't help but think about how much time the other 4th year students and I, are going to have to put in before we can be able to graduate. I gather there is not much that can be done at this moment to make up for the time that has been lost in the classroom.
So, the days seem to continue and November has gone by with December coming in a few days. I have taken two walks most days, and have even started to take up pilates again. For those you that have never tried pilates, it is really benefical. However, it can be straining on your muscles during the first few sessions. And it seems that I have lost some additional 15lbs during this time too. I am slowly working towards my goal weight of 170lbs, or a size 16.
In other news, December is looking to be a busy month both at the shelters and in the academic community with the uncertainity of when the strike will end. This is possibly my last year working relief during the holidays at the shelters, and even if we do not know what the future holds it should be a fun time. And in light of covering for the holiday shifts at the shelters I have taken up the priviledge of creating Christmas cards for family and friends. So, with stamps and cards my desk is filled with items to send out in a week or so to many.
One of the most significant things that I have been thinking alot about is how much life changes and no matter how much we want time to stand still, each day will go on. As each philosopher has raised over the years, is the fact that time is not within the hands of man. (That was one of our essay topics in History of Philosophy at Tyndale). For me and I guess everyone of us, time moves on and brings changes. No matter how much we plan; save; and dream, there will always be something that is out of our hands.
So, I am going to go and continue to fill in the time with endless planning and thinking. And finish those cards and letters. :)
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