Showing posts with label horticulture therapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horticulture therapy. Show all posts

Sunday, December 11, 2011

I has a sad. or my first world problems.

here comes my 1/4 life crisis.  or, a wave of depression...or you know, I was just laying in bed thinking.

I'm 32.  I don't have a job.  OK, wait.  I have a job.  Maybe.  In the spring.  But it's a job I don't want.  Partly because I'm not enjoying it any more, part because the stone work is to physically hard, and *that's* what I enjoy doing.  But I'm not going to wreck my body and injure myself.  Part because my boss went off the deep end last season and has odd expectations off me and has no patience for when I don't meet them.

I had not planned on going back in April. 

I also planned on getting pregnant so I didn't *have* to go back.  But *that* so far has been a bust.  *sigh*

I had what I thought was a great job.  I was managing a cafe.  I was organising, and getting things done, I was enjoying customer relations (something I've grown into apparently).  and one day, I got fired.  *BAM*  out of nowhere.  apparently, I was...not meeting their expectations.  Now, I know you read this in the paragraph before.  I've been beating myself up over this.  The cafe job, there was zero communication.  You say 'manager/supervisor', I do a job I think is what a 'manager/supervisor' does.  They didn't give me a job description, so I was winging it.  I'm more sad than anything over the situation.  I mean, I'm angry too, but I'm not frothing.

So, I have no job.  I can't get a gardening job over the winter.  And really, I don't want to,because I don't want to lead on a potential long term employer if I'm going to get pregnant.  Does that make *any* sense?  I guess I'm looking at other jobs that have high turn over, like Starbucks, to work.  then, I get the old brain thinking, "crappit.  I'm 32.  and I want to go work at *Starbucks!?*".  I feel ashamed because I didn't get any ducks in a line earlier.  I feel embarrassed too.  Is there something wrong with me? 

I keep thinking of my friend Sadie, who started a Hoop empire.  She's a biophysicist for heavens sake, and she followed her heart, and started hooping, something she *loves*.  I keep racking my brain.  what can I do?  what do I love?  and I get zip. 

Photography. 
I'm doing it.  I have a photo blog, I'm taking classes, I've got a book (YES!  A BOOK!) coming out, with a show attached to that...and then?  I've talked about Vivienne before.  She's another who has taken a passion and made it shine.  Do I have the chops for something like that?  In photography?  I think the best thing for me to do here is keep learning and keep walking this path.  I love it so.  But the way is not clear.

Horticulture.
I'm not sure I have the talent for it.  I'd like to keep working on it.  There was one point I wanted to do 'horticulture therapy', helping the elderly and disabled to garden more easily.  I'll keep that in mind too. 

But I guess what it comes down to is I'm feeling sorry for myself, and a little scared because Jason's back is not great, and I'm so scared that he won't be able to work, and there is no way we can survive on Starbucks wage.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Just a moment

find my {this moment} at becca photographs

This week I went to a trade show!!  It is a landscape/horticulture trade show called Congress. My boss payed for me to go, and take the seminars.  it was quite inspiring.  I was mostly inspired by a seminar called "Horticulture as Therapy for Specialized Populations" .  I was thinking of my Grandparents through out the seminar.  They belong to three horticulture societies, and are on a yearly garden walk.  My Grandma can't garden anymore because she can't bend/kneel.  And I know it's starting to take it's toll on Grandpa too.  I plan on going up once a month this summer to help out, and I'd *like* to help build some raised beds to make things easier on Grandpas back/knees.  My boss suggested even just things like ikea/rubbermaid bins...I could even make nice simple wooden boxes for the outsides.  Maybe if I can make a seat that Grandma can easily sit on and move, she can grub around again too.

At the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton they have a program called Horticulture Therapy Professional Training that I'd like to do, then I'd be certified!

My sister is a Personal Support Worker...I kept thinking that maybe she's want to get in on this with me too!