Gun Range

Hi,

Today I accomplished two challenges. I will discuss the most challenging first.

I married a man who shoots. His father shoots so he taught his son to shoot.
I was a pacifist who hated guns with a passion.

So, today, I took one of the biggest challenges I could think of. My husband took me to a gun range and I shot my first .22.
I have never held a live gun before or even thought of shooting one. To me, they were and are still something to be feared, respected and treated with the most caution one can provide to an object. It is not something I take lightly.

The hardest part was getting the first shot off. My heart was racing and I was sweating so much my safety glasses kept fogging up. I was allowed to shoot 35 rounds. My husband finished the 50 and shot 50 9mm. I do not like 9mm. The sound from the gun as it went off was enough to stop my heart. As well, the flame that comes out of the 9mm made my skin crawl. Everytime it went off, I got this instant feeling of dread and the desire to bolt out of the room as fast as I could. Imagine that 50 times and you'll now understand why I am exhausted. The 9mm also caused my ears to pop and I was wearing full ear protection.

The .22 did not have any kick to it at all and was a breeze to shoot. It wasn't very loud and I could still feel my heart beating after shooting all of those rounds. I have to admit the first 7 rounds did not hit the paper, but I was able to shoot the centre of my target. I was also able to provide the target with a hair cut (meaning I aimed very high) and scare him a little bit (I missed the man, but hit the paper). I have attached a photo of my target as further proof of my handi work.

The biggest thing to me was that I did it. There was such a sense of happiness I felt as we were leaving the range. I never ever thought that I could shoot a gun. These things kill people every day and to me a gun represents the end: death. However, today I learned that if I treated something responsibly and respectfully it wasn't that bad. However, I am glad there were range officers there who were watching every move we made to ensure safety came first. I think shooting may be something I could do again, mind you only the .22. I couldn't handle any more kick or noise.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn

Challenge Failed - Dalai Lama

Hi,

Well, I couldn't do it. This is the first time I could not complete a challenge I attempted. I challenged myself to read the Dalai Lama's book "In My Own Words: An Introduction to My Teachings and Philosophy".

I was physically unable to read this book. Every time I picked it up to read I fell asleep. I cannot go ten pages into this book without falling asleep.

Within the first few pages of the book, the Dalai Lama's philosophy is clearly different from mine:
 
-"And this is why unpleasant events make news; compassionate activities are so much a part of daily life that they are taken for granted and, therefore, largely ignored."

-"... a truly compassionate attitude toward others does not change even if they behave negatively."

As for the first quote, I cannot fathom that this would be correct. The news exists in its present form because of our society's need to get to the facts quick. It also exists in its current state because the media likes to get ratings. In order to get ratings, scare tactics are often used.

As for the second quote, I have a compassionate attitude towards humans. I genuinely believe human nature tends to be good. This belief system still exists in myself despite enduring years of abuse and poverty and experiencing cancer first hand. Despite all of these experiences, I feel I can still have a compassionate attitude towards others. I think the thing the Dalai Lama fails to discuss within this section in the book is the consequences of others behaving negatively. Although I don't hate the individuals who have abused me, I certainly don't entertain them on a personal level and they have to understand there are consequences to their actions, just as there are to mine.

However, I do believe in the Dalai Lama's concept of Karma. I believe because I have seen it. What surprises me the most is that it does not always take several life times in order for Karma to take effect. I will not say much else as it is personal.

Thanks for reading.

Next challenges: A makeover and a trip to the Gun range.

Lynn

Slumber Party

Hi,

This is the last thing I did this week that I will blog about I promise.

I guess one could say I'm not a "girly girl". I don't like frilly things, I don't wear high heels or make up and I don't pamper myself at all.

On Friday night my friend and I had a slumber/spa party. Having a slumber party is not something I have done since I was a teenager.

I got to experience a facial for the first time ever. It was interesting. I looked rather ridiculous so am more than grateful that there were no pictures taken. However, it really cleaned my face, and left it feeling smoother.
I also got to experience a foot spa. It involved soaking my feet in a spa with bubbles and using moisturizer afterwards. My feet were truly pampered, which is something that never happens.
I also had the opportunity to experience sugaring. It's like waxing. I have to say that it feels as though a large bandaid is being ripped off quickly. I found this was not as bad an experience as it is made out to be. Or it could simply be that I have had enough experiences with band aids in the past little while that I have become desensitized to it.

Having a slumber party/ spa evening is unlike anything I have done before. As someone who does not spoil themselves very much it was a challenge to complete these tasks. What made it easier is that I had a friend who would try things first and then provide pointers on how to accomplish what I had set out to. That helped a lot.

Thanks for reading. As January rolls to an end, I am working on completing another book. I will post again once that's complete.

Thanks for reading.
Lynn

Standing Up for Myself

Hi,

I am going to write about something that happened on Friday while I was at work. I belong to a union. Because of this, seniority is something everyone needs to be mindful of.

It was decided by my supervisor that OT would be offered on the weekend. However, I wasn't made aware of this. When I asked my supervisor if I could come in, the answer was that there may not be enough work for me to come in. However, a coworker of mine, with much less seniority, was offered it.
I questioned it with my manager. My manager agreed that if all things were considered, I should have also been invited to participate in OT. However, the department did not need OT any longer and it was all cancelled.

I have never had to stand up to my boss with anything like this before. Prior to this I would have let this slip under the rug. However, I couldn't let this one slip by. I have also been reassigned to a new Supervisor for the last two weeks. Regardless of the consequences my saying something may have caused, I felt I had to say something. I would have asked the same thing had it been for someone else. The decision to say something challenged my regular behaviour and allowed me to express my thoughts in a way I have never done before. Only time will tell what all of the consequences are.

Thanks for reading.

Lynn

Promotion

Hi,

It's been a crazy week. I will post entries as they happened.

On Thursday, I was offered a promotion/new job. I accepted the opportunity and I start on February 7th. The interesting thing is how this challenged me.

I have two weeks remaining at my present position. In these two weeks, I also get to hear the biopsy results for the lump I had removed and speak with a specialist about another tumor I have. I am challenged by all of this because the results have the potential of creating havoc with my work life for the next little while. I am challenged because I have been faced with a difficult situation. If I continue with this promotion, I could be seriously ill, creating absence at my new work, which doesn't start me off in a good place. Or I could potentially turn down the promotion, stay where I am, and not be sick and have missed out on an excellent opportunity.

I have decided at this point to continue with the promotion. As a good friend has told me, I can't put my life on hold because of something that may or may not be there. I have to live my life as if I am fine. Because that is simply all I have.

Thanks for reading.
*******Jan 26th 2010- Update:  Everything is clear in the latest biopsy. I can now look forward to my new position with a lot more excitement! Thanks for reading!****
Lynn

Medical Test

Hi,

I normally wouldn't call going for a medical test that much of a challenge. I have had to go for quite a few medical tests during my time. I've had everything done from MRI's, CT Scan's, bone scans and have given so much blood for blood tests, I now have far too much scar tissue that it makes going for more that much more difficult.

I am not going to give a lot of detail about today's test as it was sensitive. I will say these quick hints:
-Since they have just removed a small part of me and stitched it up, having someone push on the area, was not that great an idea.
-The prep work for the exam was far worse than the exam itself.

 I am blogging about this because when I look back on this year, this will stand out in my mind as one of the most challenging things I have had to overcome. I only hope I don't have to go for another one of these tests again or I may simply pass out next time.

So if you're reading this and have some questions you'd like to ask me, kindly refrain. This is a more personal entry and I'd like to keep it that way. If you have any questions about the other entries, please feel free to ask. I think this exam has challenged me in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

Thank-you for reading and respecting my wishes.

****************Feb. 2nd update: The test results came back clear! Good news! I hope I won't have to go for one of these again!******************************

Next challenge: An Adventurous Slumbar Party

Lynn

History's Worst Decisions

Hi,

Well I didn't finish my courses. I suppose that will be an ongoing challenge! I am finding it difficult to stay focussed.

So, instead I finished reading another book. This one was called "History's Worst Decisions and the People Who Made Them". I enjoyed reading this book, so perhaps the only challenge here was that I completed this in three days or so? I enjoyed learning more about parts of history I didn't know before. Although I have to say the books purpose is one in which I agree with, so it wasn't a stretch to read this book. George Santayana a philospher and writer once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I agree with this sentiment and is one of the primary reasons I obtained a degree in history in the first place.  In any case, I learned quite a bit from reading this book.

Here are some interesting things I learned:
-Although I have a great deal of respect for Churchill, he was responsible for several blunders of history. These include the battle for Gallipoli in World War One, he is attributed to arbitrarily drawing Iraq's borders, which of caused many lives to be lost in the region due to fighting, and had a hand in the Suez Crisis with Eden (who was apparently addicted to speed) and a hand in the fall of Malaya during World War Two.  I found all of this intriquing. One has to argue that he has left a legacy that affects the world today, good or bad.

- I was also excited to learn about so many more things in history that I was not aware of before. Jim Jones and his cult was something I had never studied before or Agent Orange or even Thalidomide. It is also interesting to learn about different regions and how colonization has led to many conflicts, even through today.

Anyways, thanks for reading.

My next challenge was to be going to a local museum which I have never gone to. However, this will have to wait. There are some seasonal closures occuring right now. I'll keep you posted!