Friday 10 February 2012

Don't Look Down.

This blog idea seemed like a good idea about fifteen opening sentences ago, but that sentiment is quickly fading. That's when a thought hit me; No one is going to care and even if they do, what do I care. Now that that is out of the way I can start my journey of fumbling around in the dark for proper spelling, grammar and most importantly some sort of context. So forgive me if I don't get it right the first few tries. Well, for anyone who doesn't know me very well, I will give you a brief idea of who I am (in terms of work, if you want a personal profile check me out in the Star Phoenix classifieds). I work at The Lighthouse Supported Living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My title is Maintenance but I assure you that I am so much more than just someone who is constantly fixing an old building. Sure, what I do is important; It's what currently keeps over 70 otherwise homeless people housed in Saskatoon. Aside from that, I am a case worker and councellor of sorts. The clients that I have the most success with seem to be the people who have burnt all their bridges with all the services in town and usually all the other staff at the Lighthouse (which is a really hard thing to do). I'm a sort of last resort for most of them. Now let me get something clear before we move on. In no way do I feel above anyone or that I am their personal saviour. I am just someone who has thick skin and tends to hang in for the long haul on "lost causes". I also cook and have worked as both the cook and kitchen manager for The Lighthouse, but those are positions that I no longer work because we have much more qualified people in those positions now. I think I was in those positions to simply get the kitchen to a level at which someone could come in and take it over without being absolutely overwhelmed (sort of how I came to it, only I'm pretty sure I was more than overwhelmed when I started). Mission accomplished, and moving on. That was a glimpse of the present state of my life, and now I'd like to talk about future plans. My future is something that has only come out of the fog to reveal itself within the last month or two (not that I haven't pursued other scholarly paths, just that this one feels right). I've recently applied to the University of Lethbridge, in hopes of being accepted for a degree in health sciences majoring in addictions councelling. I am really excited to begin this new leg of the journey, but I may be putting the cart before the horse on this one seeing how I have only just applied to the program a couple of weeks ago. I do feel confident that this is the right choice for me and I will continue to pursue it, no matter how many times I may have to re-apply. Although fingers are crossed that "first time is a charm" holds true. The program is a four year course and after I'm done I plan to return to Saskatoon and continue working for The Lighthouse. The Lighthouse itself is starting to gather momentum within Saskatoon with amazing opportunities, new growth and great ideas coming to realization. It is all beyond exciting and something that I feel that I need to be a part of. Short of sounding cliche and saying God has called me to be there. Well, that wasn't so bad. I know I tend to zig zag and fail to grasp any tangeble context but give me a break, I'm still wet behind the ears. If you've made it this far I feel as if I should get your mailing address and send you a gift and perhaps an aplication to fear factor for completing this harrowing ordeal. All joking aside, thank-you for reading. Marcel Monette

1 comment:

  1. Fingers crossed you get in to the program. What an exciting new journey you're embarking on! YAYY!

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