Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

I know that life is about change but I more often expect the changes or events to come gradually with larger ones growing on the horizon until by the time they have arrived they are familiar enough not to seem as large. However, today I have heard of two fairly large changes that have happened to two people who, although not within my immediate circle of family and friends, are close enough to me that I feel as though their events somehow affect my life (which they don't, really, beyond my thinking about them). I am not alone in thinking these two events to be newsworthy - both were reported on. So not only was I surprised by them, I somehow get that little sense of being famous by association that sometimes comes with these things. In the first case I heard (a couple days after the fact) that my cousin and her boyfriend had been in a head-on collision in Quebec. They have both been released from hospital with minor injuries but it sounds as though the woman in the other vehicle is in more serious condition. Here is a link to that story: http://urgence07.ca/?p=9331 I am just so thankful that it ended better than it could have. Accidents happen and they usually come with no warning (or they likely wouldn't happen at all). I mentioned above that I have an expectation of life that most of the events in it will come to me with prior warning but this is a large reminder to me that it isn't always the case. As to the second news-worthy friend-related happening I definitely had caught glimpses of it on the horizon but had no idea of its magnitude or proximity. Being involved in Augustine College I certainly have been privileged to meet a variety of interesting and often borderline famous (within a fairly limited circle, however) people. I also meet some nice people who I never would have thought I would hear about in the news. Imagine my surprise when listening to CBC I heard that Andrew Bennet (a member of the latter camp) had been picked to be the head of the newly-formed federal office of religious freedom! Here's an article on that: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/augustine-college-prof-to-head-harper-governments-new-office-of-religious-freedom/article8806344/ I suppose it has more to do with the fact that, although previously the Dean and professor at the College, when I originally met AndyB he was part of our circle rather than that of our elders. What, you mean someone close to my age has become what's known as successful? How is that possible? Anyway once the surprise wore off it makes a lot of sense and I am truly pleased for him. I think whoever made that decision chose extremely well. And I'm only slightly jealous. Really. Oh, well these pictures are just here to remind me that I have two awesome boys. And that's something...right?

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