In a previous life I was a political scientist. Weird eh? If you’re like a lot of people, you might not be sure what that means so I’ll take a quick minute to explain it. Political Science is the study of power. Who has it? Who wants it? And how much of it are people willing to sacrifice for resources, safety, or ideals?
I started university at 25, in the wake of a divorce. I won’t talk much about the time before school; it’s a fairly boring story about a young, naive girl who thought she knew everything only to soon discover she barely knew herself let alone the person she married. It’s ancient history but it did help shape me, and in the aftermath of the implosion of that relationship, I decided to go to school. I thought I was going to work toward an English degree (an equally useful BA that would not be helpful finding a job in any particular field), but Poli Sci grabbed a hold of me quickly in my first semester and didn’t let me go. I often look back on my education as an exercise in self indulgence. I quite literally took almost any class that seemed interesting to me, and loved nearly all of them.
Near the end of my schooling, I had narrowed my field to the study of the Canadian domestic policy, focusing on the voluntary sector. That’s a fancy way to say that I studied community building in Canada, and the many different manifestations of community have fascinated me since. I especially find the idea of a virtual community interesting: that we can build networks and communities that transcend borders, nationalities, religion, and political beliefs online, often never meeting the people who make up the community face to face. Living in the small, isolated area that we do has made this kind of community incredibly valuable to me. I feel like I have friends all over the world and no matter how lonely I am on a given day, all I need to do is reach out and someone will be there to talk. Amazing!
I believe that a person’s success is greatly helped or hindered by the support they have (or don’t have) in their lives. Not to say it is impossible to accomplish things alone, but it sure is a lot easier to do it with help. I find myself constantly amazed and grateful for the people I have, both in real life and in my virtual one. Without you, this wouldn’t be nearly as easy or nearly as fun. So once again, I say thank you for following my progress and for sharing yours. This community we are building is amazing, and I am lucky to be a part of it.
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