Swimming in the Mainstream

After grad school, and some initial unskilled work experiences, I realized that focusing on my strengths would yield much greater work satisfaction. I sought training in computer programming, using my math/logic skills. En route, I encountered conflict between my budding sense of how to build a meaningful career, and the commonly held value, 'Any job is better than none'. The day when I stood up and defended my personal strength-based career goals, refusing to simply take the first job that came along, was the day I embarked on my adult career journey. The result was a very beneficial and largely satisfying two decades in Information Technology and management.

When I moved 2000 miles away from my friends and family to a small town in Alberta, that wasn't exactly welcoming in 1981 for someone from Ontario and who had a disability. I lived independently, ran a household, shopped,cooked , cleaned and taught. I did the best job in special ed as a teacher that I could. I did it so well that I taught myself out of a job the next year, but I learned that I could live on my own, function as a mature individual,when alot of the ' professionals' around me didn't . I built my self confidence and self worth. The students' parents I had said I was the first of 12 previous special ed teachers in that school board, who actually gave a damn about the kids and worked on their behalf, rather than sucking up to the administration.

I knew I had done a good job placing them in schools and classes where they would get the best teachers and education which is what they deserved. My kids knew they were capable wonderful human beings and not the ' space cadets' the administration refered to them as.

That to me is a fully functioning adult, looking out towards the community and doing the best you can with what you have to make a difference. Liz S

When I lost a position and then started my educational training.

I've been lucky to have good familial support and good friends who have encouraged me to do the best I could and then some. When I really believed it was this last semester, when I finally realized the truth in what they are saying and know I can do a lot better-to believe in myself.

I am in a much better position to reach out to the community and use what I have to make a difference. I know I'm a lot better than I give myself credit for.

I think my involvement in Center for Independent Futures has really allowed me to grow in ways I might not have otherwise imagined. I am still unemployed, but that is one goal for 2006 that I would really like to deal with, and I know for a fact that I have the backing of my family and everyone at Center for Independent Futures. But one example of how Center for Independent Futures has allowed me to mature even further than I had when living with my folks, is living with a very difficult roommate. This roommate had been a neighbor of mine several years ago, but nobody would've imagined the two of us together ten plus years later. He has lost a great deal of sight since we were neighbors, and this factor has clearly changed him in ways I never would've thought possible. If I were to sum it all up in one sentence, I'd say that he is at times very pleasant and at other times very angry. As one of the life-skills tutors put it, he is a "multi-layered" person. I'd say this is very true. Most if not all of the time he is an extreme control freak and does not let me have my way. He will leave his belongings strewn around, and I have had to tell him rather sternly to please clean up his things so that the apartment looks somewhat presentable for guests, or when our life skills tutors come to work with us. He always tells me he will but somehow he just never gets around to it. Another of my goals for the coming year is to do more of my own cooking, but how can I do that if my roommate doesn't clean up the kitchen? I should mention here that he has stated more than once the desire to do the dishes together with me, yet he seems very dissatisfied when I wash or dry the dishes. I just started working with a new life-skills tutor, and last week we cooked lunch. But before we could proceed with this task, we had to wash and dry several of my roommate's dishes. Assertiveness hasn't been easy for me since my roommate is so moody, but I vow to keep on working on it. He is very close to being kicked out, if you ask me, but I really don't want to do that and I probably don't have the authority at this point to do that. But I have given this a lot of thought. On the one hand, I don't want to just kick him out because he'll most likely have no place to go. He could live with his mom again, but she has no desire to have another person live with her. However, I am not as independent as I want to be or as anyone else wants me to be, and if this is ever to change something must be done about my roommate. At this point I honestly think that it is beyond me to tell him to calm down and let me have more freedom. While I am glad to keep working on this problem, I am also very content to leave it in the hands of my parents and the staff of Center for Independent Futures.
Jake