It has been a pretty intensive year, so busy that I think I missed the first anniversary of No Stereotypes Here!
About this time last year, the board of directors and myself at the Autism Women's Network was preparing to launch the website for the first time. Since then, it's been non-stop excitement working on various issues. I'm actually surprised I found time to blog and keep track of it all, especially with the new DSM drafts, our board members working with the White House, and the whole Pepsi refresh contest. It's a lot to try and keep up with and blog about.
As for my own events, it's been a little tipsy turvy, with two moves, the drama of new house mates, the usual fussing over medical issues, and my own personal studies.
In the beginning of this year, I had been studying in a Library and Information Technician program, but after all the blogging I've been doing, I decided to sit back, give myself a summer vacation, and think. I thought about being employed, and how much energy and resources that would cost me. I thought about trying to balance work with what I do the most, writing. Writing novels and writing about Autism.
And then I made another decision. I decided that I would be perfectly miserable if I could not write, and was not involved with Autism issues. And if I was miserable, I would be setting myself up to fail, crash and burn out, over and over again. And I do not like those experiences.
So I decided to dedicate myself more to Autism and disability issues, and to educate myself more. Because it's all good that I sit here and write my opinions and thoughts, and I hope that even that has made a difference for at least one person. But I'd like to try and make a large difference, because I see things that don't seem right, and I don't see anyone stepping up to change things for the better. And to do that, I need to know more things about how to make changes in my own country, province and town.
And so, I applied for the Disability Studies program at Ryerson University. Earlier this month, I was accepted and am preparing to take courses on-line, starting in January. For me, this is a big and exciting step towards being an active citizen, despite financial difficulties. I hope that I'll be able to share with all my readers the things that I'll be learning, and how I plan to apply them to practical use.
As the year draws to a close, I think back on what has happened on this blog over the year, the success of ASDay, and everyone I've met online. And I think about the year to come with hope that as good as this year has been, that next year will be even better!!!
Happy New Year everyone!
Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Corina! It is AWN's 1 year anniversary in a couple days as well:-)) Thank you for all you do, and for the hard work you have put into helping Autism Women's Network have a wonderful first year of getting acclimated within the autism community. Glad you are getting settled into your new living arrangement. Wishing you the best in 2011 and always.
ReplyDeleteThe launch of AWN was indeed an exciting and meaningful ocassion.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Ryerson experience! (I know them very well for Literature efforts, and I hope the Disability studies programme will be great).
And it's good to stop and rethink.
You wrote "...I hope that even that has made a difference for at least one person."
ReplyDeleteYes. It did. Thank you :)
Happy New Year, Corina, and good luck with your new studies this year! :-)
ReplyDeleteHow very exciting that you'll be starting at Ryerson! I've also decided to go back to school in disability studies, for reasons very similar to yours. I'll be starting in the low-residency master's program at Goddard College in Vermont beginning in September, 2011.
ReplyDeleteTime to keep on changing the world! :-)