Inside Out: A View of Hopeful Expectations

Library view, University of British Columbia (Vancouver)

Hard to believe that it has been one year since my last post! I have thought of writing many times but was immersed in life; that is, deep in it with no inclination to pause and reflect. I was surrounded by graduate studies, then movement from student to working counsellor, as well as the continuous building of musical chops. Weekend studio jams! More mundane things also filled my soul: Weekly swimming and stretching in the pool, nature and beachside walks or runs, and capturing all of this in photos and Twitter posts rather than in words. Yet, all of this living brings reminders of the Jungian thought that "...all magic, miracles, and parapsychological happenings have one thing on common: An attitude of hopeful expectancy."(1). The magic is the clarity, the light, the invisible string of determination that pulls me forward in endeavours of work, study, music, mind-body-spirit self-care, as well as the need to contribute something that is both personally inspirational and useful and/or meaningful to the world. The miracle is that I continue to be in the right place to receive such gifts, to be attuned to the intuitive signposts that guide forward-leaning momentum. In grace.

In April 2019, I had a five-week break from full-time graduate studies in counselling psychology. I spent the time hiking local nature trails, strolling local beaches, and organizing work for the summer semester. By the end of August, I had completed two years of study in one year and headed up the open highway to Nelson, BC. Freedom - shaking off the study grind that had consumed me for the past year, cruising into the perfect getaway place for resetting a tired body, a full analytical brain, and the pressing need for a new view.

In September 2019, I began two semesters of clinical counselling practice, supervised by a UBC professor, providing counselling to community members. As well, In October, I began working as a family counsellor, and have started a website for this work(2). Then in April (2020), I was looking forward to the practicum component of my program (and last requirement for graduation!); however, this will likely start in July, given the current COVID-19 crisis. Homestretch! Patience, they say!

All the while, I have continued to keep up the musical chops. Playing guitar and bass, sometimes drumming with the Metis drum I made many years ago. As well, after a few years of feeling tight-throated and hesitant, I began singing again. I sing and play what inspires me. No agenda, no specific target, more generally moved by the moment. I had been playing at the Burnaby studio space, shared with other musicians. We have since moved back to East Vancouver, closer to home. I look forward to sharing this work and, below, have attached a video. This is one of the last videos filmed at the Burnaby studio. And so, at some point I will likely become focused again, working on my own songs and musical repertoire. In the meantime, I embrace all with an attitude of gratefulness, appreciation, and hopeful expectancy.