bell-ringers

Sometime in the months getting prepared to move from Regina to Kingston, I developed an ulcer. I think. I've never had a formal medical diagnosis of it, since every time I happen to be at the doctor's office I conveniently forget about the pain in the pit of my stomach that doubles me over like a you-know-who who's been sucker punched every time I get severely stressed. Thus, in addition to the mega pack of Tums (various fruit flavoured, fortified with calcium) that saw me through my nerves as our cross country journey loomed ever closer, I had a couple motivational quotes sticky tacked to the wall behind my computer at work. I just had to look up past the briefing note I was typing to remember why I was uprooting our lives and dragging Adoring and Wonderful Husband away from the haven in our hearts that will forever be home. Two quotes were my motivation.

1. A ship in the harbour is safe - but that's not what ships were built for.

2. I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. (Twain)

(To be honest, that last quote had been on my wall for a while; it's what helped convince me that it was okay for me to take six weeks off work to travel through Europe with Adoring and Wonderful Husband for our honeymoon. Strange, how I should have felt so guilty for asking for that time off. I wonder if my former bosses even remember me anymore, but I will never forget sitting on the cobble stoned streets of Lyon having a beer with our new found best friends - some of with whom we never had a conversation in English, but were bonded nonetheless - watching and waiting to see who would be the first pedestrian to step in the pile of dog poo we saw being freshly laid only minutes before. Stereotypes are stereotypes because they're often true.)

At the gym the other day, I saw another motivating quote on the t-shirt of a member (who must have gotten it from the club when she signed up for her membership): "Don't let the things you can't do prevent you from doing the things you can." And today, watching Boh as he again proves to me what a marvel he really, truly is, I caught on TV an interview with Paul McCallum, former kicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, now the kicker for the BC Lions. Talking about his move to the cloudy waters of the West Coast after the horrible way Saskatchewan fans treated him after he missed the kick that would have taken the Riders into the Grey Cup two years ago (the year the Cup was in Ottawa by the way, and Adoring and Wonderful Husband and I had tickets), he explained how difficult his decision was. But, he said, "sometimes you have to take a step back before you can move forward." Think I just might add that to the list of things that move me into action.

My other motivation?