37 years old, married, 5 kids, 2 dogs, full time career, playing in a band that gigs twice a month, logging 400+ volunteer hours a year. What would you do? I would go to school and get a degree.... In my free time.
The thought and desire have been there lurking in the back of my mind since I graduated from NAIT in 1995. A degree was something that eluded me, but in what faculty? Some would say Engineering and while it fit with my career as a designer and now project manager this just never felt right, or accessible. What was missing was the direction and the opportunity. The opportunity recently presented itself unexpectedly (a commercial on TV) and direction fell into place shortly there after. All with in the past two weeks. So with a bunch of research, numerous emails, and enormous encouragement from my wife (my number 1 supporter, the rope that holds me together, my rock, you know, her) I defined the future that had long eluded me and set the wheels of opportunity into motion.
On April 4, 2011 I went online and submitted my application to the Bachelor of Technology Program at NAIT. No turning back! Application is sent, application fee paid and transcripts ordered. Overwhelmed much. Yup.
The plan, the goal, the lofty pie in the sky dream is to graduate with a B.Tech degree in the year I turn 40, 2014, 3 years from now. An ambitious undertaking, but one which I feel strongly motivated towards. And with the support of Coreena I know nothing is impossible (seriously have you met this woman?!). Beyond that the ultimate prize for which this degree is a stepping stone towards, an MBA. Huge I know. But I am putting it out there, in black and white for the whole universe to see and hold me accountable for. Accountability to the universe is some serious shit after all.
So it begins and so I write about it for all who are interested in the trials and tribulations of a busy middle age husband/father/musician/project manager as he seeks higher education.
I know that there will be sacrifices and that some of my extra curricular and volunteer stuff will have to take a back seat. And I know that extra effort will be required to maintain and preserve and continue to build the relationships I have especially with my wife and kids. And I know of that the work will be hard! But in the long run I hope that the example I am setting for my kids will inspire them as they grow into adulthood and stake their claim in the world. Inspire them to never give up on their dreams. Inspire them that it is NEVER too late. Inspire them to be all and everything that I know they can be. If I can achieve this then it will all have been worth while.
And so that is step one. The plan is defined and set into motion.
To be continued...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
You think you got it bad?
Just walked down Jasper ave on my lunch break to get some air and try to warm up from my cold office. Came across a guy. Maybe 21-23 at the most. Kind of grungy looking but not necessarily homeless. Spiky blond hair, jeans and an old black T-shirt. Staggering and definitely drunk but more likely stoned. Grinning, a kind of "wow I am in shock" grin. From a distance I can tell he is talking loud to everyone he passes, so I brace myself for the usual "hey man can you spare some change?" request. I get closer and I can see that I will be the next person he passes as there is no one around me. OK then here it comes, I don'thave any change so that is all I can say.
Kid to me "He man, you know a lot of people think they got it bad hey,but they ain't got it so fuckin' bad. But I just found out I gotfuckin' AIDS, I'm gonna Fuckin' die hey, I'm gonna Fuckin' die. Nowwhat the fuck I am supposed to do. I got it Fuckin' bad"
He didn't stop, he kept walking east while I walked west. I heard himrepeat a similar statement to the next people he came across. He justkept walking, and grinning, that's all he knew to do.
I don't got it so Fuckin' bad.
Kid to me "He man, you know a lot of people think they got it bad hey,but they ain't got it so fuckin' bad. But I just found out I gotfuckin' AIDS, I'm gonna Fuckin' die hey, I'm gonna Fuckin' die. Nowwhat the fuck I am supposed to do. I got it Fuckin' bad"
He didn't stop, he kept walking east while I walked west. I heard himrepeat a similar statement to the next people he came across. He justkept walking, and grinning, that's all he knew to do.
I don't got it so Fuckin' bad.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tell Me
Tell me…
Tell me. Tell me oh holy dogmatic exalted one, self appointed leader of the uninspired masses.
Tell me of the quid pro quo conditions that lay between the lines of the book that you twist and stretch to suit your self serving sermons.
Tell me all that I can not seem to read for myself in the pages of the doctrine you claim to live to serve above all.
Above man, above self, above is where you look for answers yet from within are the words you spew upon the ignorant and uninformed too scared to question, to afraid to seek the light for themselves.
They buy your packaged carbon copy peace of mind because it is so much easier than the search.
Unwrapping the package of forgiveness and acceptance not seeing that it comes wrapped in the foil of your judgment and disapproval.
Tell me how you got so tall, standing tip toe on your pulpit there is non higher. No other who can look down on us, look down on me now.
Tell me again that I must beg forgiveness for the sin of personal choice, forgiveness for the unforgivable act of stepping out of line.
And tell me who you think you are to condemn my eternity. Blessing above all the ants who march head down to your alter overfilling your plate with their payment an offering to you and to your brick and mortar suburban holy ground.
Tell me why it is that I will beg when the shit comes down from above, Halleluiah to the followers and believers as they leave behind the free thinkers and set out for the most holy kingdom that awaits.
Are you so blinded by faith that you can not see that heaven itself is all around us? Reflected in the paradise that surrounds us here on earth.
No you can not see past your own arrogant judgment. You can not lower you blinders long enough to see that it is us; all of us reflections of the divine. All holy. All pure at heart.
You can’t see there is no devil set on the destruction of man kind. But there is a devil at work without doubt; alive and well in the blame and in the judgment. The devil himself feeds with in the walls you hold so dear. But you’ll never see him past yourself.
So if you are through with explaining why I do not qualify for your exclusive offer of forgiveness acceptance and conditional holy love. I will leave you to wallow in your own self righteous pity.
I will go forth, I will embrace the heavens on earth around me, and I will embrace the divine reflected in my fellow man. And I will embrace the inevitable change that is coming. And it is I that will survive to drink from the water of life. It is I that will inherit the kingdom of god that surrounds us all. It is here that I will find the peace you are selling and it is here that I will wait to accept you.
JDKornel
Copyright 2008
Tell me. Tell me oh holy dogmatic exalted one, self appointed leader of the uninspired masses.
Tell me of the quid pro quo conditions that lay between the lines of the book that you twist and stretch to suit your self serving sermons.
Tell me all that I can not seem to read for myself in the pages of the doctrine you claim to live to serve above all.
Above man, above self, above is where you look for answers yet from within are the words you spew upon the ignorant and uninformed too scared to question, to afraid to seek the light for themselves.
They buy your packaged carbon copy peace of mind because it is so much easier than the search.
Unwrapping the package of forgiveness and acceptance not seeing that it comes wrapped in the foil of your judgment and disapproval.
Tell me how you got so tall, standing tip toe on your pulpit there is non higher. No other who can look down on us, look down on me now.
Tell me again that I must beg forgiveness for the sin of personal choice, forgiveness for the unforgivable act of stepping out of line.
And tell me who you think you are to condemn my eternity. Blessing above all the ants who march head down to your alter overfilling your plate with their payment an offering to you and to your brick and mortar suburban holy ground.
Tell me why it is that I will beg when the shit comes down from above, Halleluiah to the followers and believers as they leave behind the free thinkers and set out for the most holy kingdom that awaits.
Are you so blinded by faith that you can not see that heaven itself is all around us? Reflected in the paradise that surrounds us here on earth.
No you can not see past your own arrogant judgment. You can not lower you blinders long enough to see that it is us; all of us reflections of the divine. All holy. All pure at heart.
You can’t see there is no devil set on the destruction of man kind. But there is a devil at work without doubt; alive and well in the blame and in the judgment. The devil himself feeds with in the walls you hold so dear. But you’ll never see him past yourself.
So if you are through with explaining why I do not qualify for your exclusive offer of forgiveness acceptance and conditional holy love. I will leave you to wallow in your own self righteous pity.
I will go forth, I will embrace the heavens on earth around me, and I will embrace the divine reflected in my fellow man. And I will embrace the inevitable change that is coming. And it is I that will survive to drink from the water of life. It is I that will inherit the kingdom of god that surrounds us all. It is here that I will find the peace you are selling and it is here that I will wait to accept you.
JDKornel
Copyright 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
1.2 Billion Elephants
The video attached is a presentation given by Al Gore to Ted.com in February of this year. It contains current facts and startling information. What is most noticeable is Mr.Gore's deep sense of frustration. This is not a new problem and it is not without solutions, what it lacks is a sense of urgency.
In the closing of the presentation Mr.Gore quotes Buckminster Fuller...
What would YOU do?
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/243
In the closing of the presentation Mr.Gore quotes Buckminster Fuller...
"If the future of all human civilization depended on me, what would I do?"
What would YOU do?
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/243
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Record Store Day
Ok...in follow up to yesterday's blog ... check this out.
http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home
http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home
On Saturday, April 19, 2008, hundreds of independently owned music stores
across the country will celebrate “Record Store Day.”
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