Back to school shopping has been a tradition for many years with me. As a student, I always loved the day my Dad would pack us up in the car to go on this adventure, and over the last 6 or so years, I have enjoyed this with my own 3 children every August. There is something about the cooler nights, and the leaves changing color that sets my heart fluttering in anticipation of a new school year.
I finished my BA (in Music and Law at Carleton University) way back in, well... I'm not going to tell you how way back, you can just trust me that it's been a while. So school shopping has not been for ME in quite some time.
This past week, a friend of mine (who is also a Mom and has recently gone back to school) and I headed out to the stores to get OURSELVES some back to school supplies.
This trip set my heart racing rather than fluttering! I felt a bit like I did at 13 when I was starting high school. I have no idea what I need, what the 'other kids' will be using. I just want to 'fit in'. So, to remedy this gut-wrenching situation, I fbd (facebook-d - yes, I have played into that time sucking website!) a fellow student already in his 3rd year for advice.
Upon not receiving an immediate response (apparently I'm not the center of the universe!) I headed out the door to Future Shop, Wal-Mart, Staples, Best Buy, and Chapters just to name a few, in search of the perfect equipment for myself.
In short, I was shocked at how little I saw that appealed to me (as a MATURE, lol, student) and how expensive everything was that I did like.
We spent a good portion of the excursion, joking about whether we should get the 'tinkerbell' or the 'Hannah Montana' licenced merchandise, or spend the big bucks on a beautiful, masculine, leather briefcase. Those seemed to be the options.
There were pens, and pencils, highlighters, and all the regular supplies, but somehow, I just had a really hard time, deciding on what was right for me.
One of the last stores we went to was Chapters. There I did manage to spend some of money. I found a staple-less stapler (a true find, that I had been coveting since Rick showed me his!), a pencil case , made out of recycled cotton and pop bottles, and a notebook made completely recycled materials. What you need to know about these purchases is this: Since I returned from a National Youth Gathering in Whitehorse last summer, where Pastor Fred Ludolf challenged the youth (and their leaders) to go green and help to show our churches and communities how to be good "Stewards of Creation", my life has been a series of weighing cost against 'green'. But that is a whole other blog post!
At the last store, my girlfriend purchased her laptop, and I found a lunch bag, that 'would do'. The end result.. money spent, and little to show for it, although the purchases were mainly enviro friendly.
I still feel no where near prepared for school to start, and although I did end up receiving some great advise about being myself, and not trying to fit in. Being an individual is important and being true to who you are is even more so.
Perhaps this part of the journey is to learn that it's not about 'stuff' and more about the person I am, and who God wants me to be.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
What Have I Done??!!
So, being fully registered for school, I took a trip to the University book store to beat the rush and pick up any books that were already available. Ok, ok.... more just cause I wanted to go onto campus as an "official student". In any case, I made use of this trip to pick up 4 of my textbooks that were available. And what a shock! It's amazing I didn't drop dead of a heart attack right then and there!
The first shock came, when my friend Claudia (who was being ever so helpful) dropped a Hebew textbook in my hands. It was at that moment, that my heart seemed to stop, the room started to spin, and my lunch began to churn. As I stared at the book, that was only a few centimeters thick, with it's odd series of squiggles and markings, I realized that not only was it covered an a foreign language, but the book opened backwards and the authors name was written on the top. The whole book was backwards. I took it from her, and turned it over in my hands trying to figure out if it was perhpas mis-printed or bound wrong. It was at that very moment that the words flew out of my mouth... "What have I done??" I began to wonder if perhaps I should have listened to all those people who said Greek was the way to go.
As I stood in shock, mouth hanging open, staring at the book, Claudia's 9 year old son gazed up at me, and I began to pray, yet again. "O Lord! Please, please, please let this be the wrong book!!"
As has been the custom, God answered. It was indeed NOT the book I needed and once again my heart began to beat.
I continued to search, somewhat clumsily, and with the help of one of the bookstore employees for the remainder of the available books and came up with 4 . (I appologize to all staff, and fellow students if I appeared incredibly inept! I'm sure some 18 year old was sniggering on the other side of the shelves!)
After browsing around at the college wear and scoping out everyone's Christmas gifts (sorry guys.... I guess I just spoiled it.. you're all getting Western Wear for Christmas this year!), I made my way to the cash to pay for said 4 books.
Well, if the Hebrew text didn't do me in, the next conversation almost did!
To ease you into this, you have to know something about me. I am a huge reader. I LOVE books, admittedly, they are one of my big vices. I am always waiting for them to go on sale. I rarely pay full price for a book, and if I do, it had better be a great read!
So, I arrive at the cash with all 4 books in my arm (which is now feeling like rubber as they were quite heavy!), all new and shiny and fresh, as there were no used editions. The cashier, was a pleasant young lady. She was likely working there to put herself through her first degree (she was that young!). She pleasently greeted me and rang through my books, and then looked up at me, with her big doe eyes, and perfect smile and said, "That will be $165 please."
Once again my jaw hit the floor, and I muttered, "What have I done?!"
I handed over the credit card, closed my eyes and waited.
Sweetly, she looked at me and said,"It's ok, that's not that bad." It wouldn't have been so bad if that had been all the books I needed to purchase, but that was only half of what was required for the FIRST TERM alone!
It has been 15 years (don't tell anyone!) since I purchased University texts, and I had forgotten just how expensive they are.
If anyone out there happens to have used texts they are wanting to get rid of.. please, message me and I'll share my book list!!
It's been about a week now since this incident, and although there are moments when I still ask, "What have I done?" I have accepted the fact, that I need to be challenged in order to grow, and as long as God allows me into heaven when I actually have a heart attack, I'll do my best to roll with it, and allow myself to be moulded by my creator.
The first shock came, when my friend Claudia (who was being ever so helpful) dropped a Hebew textbook in my hands. It was at that moment, that my heart seemed to stop, the room started to spin, and my lunch began to churn. As I stared at the book, that was only a few centimeters thick, with it's odd series of squiggles and markings, I realized that not only was it covered an a foreign language, but the book opened backwards and the authors name was written on the top. The whole book was backwards. I took it from her, and turned it over in my hands trying to figure out if it was perhpas mis-printed or bound wrong. It was at that very moment that the words flew out of my mouth... "What have I done??" I began to wonder if perhaps I should have listened to all those people who said Greek was the way to go.
As I stood in shock, mouth hanging open, staring at the book, Claudia's 9 year old son gazed up at me, and I began to pray, yet again. "O Lord! Please, please, please let this be the wrong book!!"
As has been the custom, God answered. It was indeed NOT the book I needed and once again my heart began to beat.
I continued to search, somewhat clumsily, and with the help of one of the bookstore employees for the remainder of the available books and came up with 4 . (I appologize to all staff, and fellow students if I appeared incredibly inept! I'm sure some 18 year old was sniggering on the other side of the shelves!)
After browsing around at the college wear and scoping out everyone's Christmas gifts (sorry guys.... I guess I just spoiled it.. you're all getting Western Wear for Christmas this year!), I made my way to the cash to pay for said 4 books.
Well, if the Hebrew text didn't do me in, the next conversation almost did!
To ease you into this, you have to know something about me. I am a huge reader. I LOVE books, admittedly, they are one of my big vices. I am always waiting for them to go on sale. I rarely pay full price for a book, and if I do, it had better be a great read!
So, I arrive at the cash with all 4 books in my arm (which is now feeling like rubber as they were quite heavy!), all new and shiny and fresh, as there were no used editions. The cashier, was a pleasant young lady. She was likely working there to put herself through her first degree (she was that young!). She pleasently greeted me and rang through my books, and then looked up at me, with her big doe eyes, and perfect smile and said, "That will be $165 please."
Once again my jaw hit the floor, and I muttered, "What have I done?!"
I handed over the credit card, closed my eyes and waited.
Sweetly, she looked at me and said,"It's ok, that's not that bad." It wouldn't have been so bad if that had been all the books I needed to purchase, but that was only half of what was required for the FIRST TERM alone!
It has been 15 years (don't tell anyone!) since I purchased University texts, and I had forgotten just how expensive they are.
If anyone out there happens to have used texts they are wanting to get rid of.. please, message me and I'll share my book list!!
It's been about a week now since this incident, and although there are moments when I still ask, "What have I done?" I have accepted the fact, that I need to be challenged in order to grow, and as long as God allows me into heaven when I actually have a heart attack, I'll do my best to roll with it, and allow myself to be moulded by my creator.
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