MANITOBA
The perks of being grounded
Most of us have been there, or will be there soon enough. Fourteen and about to enter high school. Eighteen and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of our lives.
As summer comes to an end and back-to-school looms ahead, the time to focus draws closer as times for carefree leisure slip away. Some students embrace the change in lifestyle that comes after Labour Day each year. Others resent it. Regardless, no one can ignore the impact this time of year has on a young person's future.
We can head into it with a can-do attitude; ready to take on classes, sports, community commitments as well as social activities. Or we can approach the impending school year with the mindset of simply doing the bare minimum needed to get by.
Throughout our youth, and by extension our school years, we choose our friends, discover our passions and set goals for ourselves. Unfortunately, we might also struggle to be accepted, and we may even make a few mistakes. But from that journey, whether we triumphantly find ourselves or sadly lose our way, one experience is universal and lasts well into adulthood. And that's having the freedom to make our own decisions. Blaming our bullies for coercing us, our friends for pressuring us or even our parents for influencing us; none of it matters by our mid-twenties. Later on, we may all but forget the reasons behind our actions. What matters is the lasting impact those actions leave.
Looking back on my school days, there is nothing I'm more satisfied with than my involvement in my community. I can honestly say I'm at peace with that version of myself. I made my days through high school, and at university, matter. The friendships I made, the initiatives I took, the books I read, all of it shaped the person I have become. So when I refer to being "grounded," I don't mean stuck in my room with no T.V. on a Saturday night. I mean "grounded" as being able to put down roots in my community.
I grew up near Petersfield and went to primary and secondary school in Teulon before attending university in Winnipeg and Halifax. Through it all, the Interlake/Selkirk region has always been my home. People ask me where I'm from all the time, and I never really know how to answer them. I mean, how to explain to someone from Toronto that I live on a farm near the southwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg, went to school in a nearby town, played sports for several local teams and spent my free time in what is known as cottage country in Manitoba? Usually, I just say I'm from rural Manitoba near Lake Winnipeg and leave it at that.
The connection I feel to the Interlake is difficult to explain. I suppose it really sprung from my teenage years – spent being driven around the region by my parents before I obtained my licence at 16 – getting involved in everything from community outreach to local sports. In a long list of commitments – whether I was volunteering at a personal care home in Teulon, playing ringette in Stonewall and Warren when Teulon didn't have enough players for a team, reinstating a drama club at Teulon Collegiate while editing the newspaper and yearbook, timekeeping at track meets in Stonewall and Selkirk, or making presentations for the Youth Parliaments of Manitoba at area schools — my dedication to the place I call home never wavered.
When I graduated from high school, and throughout university, I was rewarded with recognitions and scholarships for my efforts, but that's not the reason I did all those things and more. I was, and continue to be, active in my community because I care(d) about where, and with whom, I live.
Growing up, did I spend most of my free time working or volunteering? Absolutely. Did I still make friends and memories? Of course. But did I miss a few legendary bonfire parties? I guess so. And was I labelled a nerd? Certainly. So do I have any regrets as to the way I spent my youth in the Interlake? None at all. See, the most important question I continue to ask myself is, "Do I have an impact here? To the place that has made me who I am? To the people I care about?" I can truly say I try to, with all that I have and everything I do.
School starts in about two and a half weeks. When it does, how will you choose to spend your time? Or, how will your children spend it? When we're young, the decision is entirely ours to make. Choosing wisely now could lead to the possibility of more options, and better choices, in the future.
So to all those heading back into the classroom in September, please don't hesitate to put down roots. Because from a young age and onwards, staying grounded isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Jennifer Pawluk
21 August 2010
