27 April 2008

Passing Strange

I successfully defended my thesis. A few revisions and I'll be an official master. As I said in my acknowledgements completing this degree has been part of a demanding, but rewarding journey. As I sat in the conference room ready to begin my defense I let go into heavy sobs. Just reflecting on the past three years is quite emotionally overwhelming. I am in awe at the capacity for us to endure and actually succeed despite the contrary... which includes the following:
  • One gigantic post-traumatic stress breakdown brought on by 25 years of holding it in. (It's always a good idea to begin graduate school when your world is falling apart)
  • One life-threatening anaphylactic shock resulting in a rushed entry into the emergency room.
  • One psychotic reaction to prednisone. (My friend Heidi was witness to these first three)
  • One threatening incident that changed the way I think about faith.
  • One new car
  • 15 parking tickets
  • Two trips to skatecamp to be a skatemom
  • Two years as hockey team treasurer
  • One supeona to testify in court
  • One scuba-diving certification
  • 30 poems written
  • 5 journals filled
  • 400 hours of therapy.
  • 20 years of marriage and going strong.
  • Two teenagers.
  • 10 university level courses taught
  • 1 paper accepted to an international conference
  • One graduate scholarship to IDEC
  • 10 computer programs learned
  • One 3.98 grade point average
  • 8 cities traveled to for school -- London, Paris, Amsterdam, Montreal, Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, New York
  • Countless students who were the impetus to continue, whose stories were sustaining.
  • 6 colleagues who supported me.
  • Countless friends, who listened and laughed with me (or at me) when I was certain I couldn't continue.
  • One complex, interesting, adventurous, crazy family that I love.
  • One happy, healthy DeAnn at the end.

9 comments:

Nat said...

Wow Dee- that is quite the list!! Good job for finishing school, what an accomplishment! It's the best feeling when you finish something so big. Nice work!

echo said...

wow- what a great accomplishment!! you should also add, one great aunt, to that list. i think you are a wonderful and great person. keep working hard in life and you will get what you want. i love you and your family.

Bluebird & Company said...

Hey DeAnn!
I will "echo" the two above comments.:) (heehee, I'm so funny)
You have accomplished some pretty amazing things.

dixie said...

DeAnn,
Job well done!! Wow, what an accomplishment. Now, you have mastered more than a Master's degree.

echo said...

i came back to read this post again, and had a good chuckle at 15 parking tickets! that is a lot!

Tamara Jacobs said...

wow dee!You have accomplished so much! Great job on finishing school and making it through everything else. You are such a fun and exciting person. I love how you really live life to the fullest!

Daryl Olsen said...

Congratulations to you in all your accomplishments. I can understand the stress thing with all that you had on your plate. You had a lot to deal with and you came out on top and was successful in so many endeavors. Again, congratulations and we love you and your family.

Heidi said...

I just read this and cried! I love you and I love everything that you are. I am so unbelievably proud of you and all that you have accomplished. I wished our 'season' would have been under different circumstances and that we could still hang out. I hope to grow up and be just like YOU! Thanks for considering me a friend.

Heidi

ohleslie said...

Dee - I'm putting together a blog that includes information I found helpful for going through life as a artist. It's called Journal of Omens - A Poetry Journal.

http://journal-of-omens.blogspot.com/