Who knew picking a dissertation topic could lead to an identity crisis? It likely would not have been an issue had I been prepared to start data collection at the beginning of this semester for my original topic - but I wasn't. I needed an actual vacation over the summer. And I'm not too excited about the idea of waiting until next fall, so I've been trying since summer to come up with a new, doable topic about which I am excited. Lots and lots of possibilities that I like and can see myself doing, but nothing quite gave me that "YES!!! THAT is what I will do!!" feeling.
However, while browsing a dissertation that I am referencing in one of my comps projects today, it struck me that quite a few authors of the dissertations I have looked at (and trust me, when you do a meta-analysis, you look at a LOT of dissertations) include their pets in the acknowledgements section. You know, the "I would like to thank (fill in the blank) for their guidance and support" etc., etc. There are really quite a few people that include dogs, cats, horses, birds, and an assortment of other pets in their thanks. I guess I didn't pay much attention to this when looking at dissertations focusing on animal-assisted activities/therapy - you would almost expect that anyone writing a dissertation relevant to the human-animal bond would acknowledge the role of their own pets. But the dissertation I was referencing today was in a field totally unrelated to the human-animal interaction, and yet here the author was, thanking her dog for his role in helping her to successfully complete the program and earn her degree.
And then it hit me - why not use THIS as the topic of my dissertation? The role of pets/companion animals in the lives of graduate students. It has a nice ring to it. I could look at dissertations in which the authors acknowledge & thank their pets. I could look at rates of students earning their graduate degree who have pets vs don't. I could do some interviews and look at the type of pet, quality of relationship, etc. - why are these students attributing their success in school, at least in part, to their pets?
And, as a friend and fellow doc student pointed out, it is blatantly related to EDUCATION (since my degree is in educational psychology, after all).
Just a seed of an idea, at this point, but an idea that has captured my interest enough to blog about it, so I can remember this idea later and explore further.
And now, back to that comps paper responsible for starting this thought...
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Advice
I've gotten some useful advice throughout my life--especially as of late--so thought I'd pass it along :) Feel free to share YOUR best advice, too!
"Explore the gray; don't look for black and white answers. Allow for there to be uncertainty and eventually an answer will come to you." (via Melissa Klein)
Regarding finding "balance" in life (paraphrased in my words): "Most people think of achieving balance as reaching a stagnant state. But if you look at balance in nature, the tide goes in; the tide goes out. Molecules diffuse across a cell membrane in one direction, and then move back again. [Things are in a constant state of flux, and therein lies the balance]... You can either hang on to the dock and try to stop the tide from coming in, or you can let go and just bob along in the water for awhile."
"Sometimes you need to smile and nod, and then go do your own thing."
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss)
"Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize of change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time." (Sara Paddison)
"Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive." (Elbert Hubbard)
"Everything works out in the end. If it doesn't work out, it's not the end." (my mother)
"Explore the gray; don't look for black and white answers. Allow for there to be uncertainty and eventually an answer will come to you." (via Melissa Klein)
Regarding finding "balance" in life (paraphrased in my words): "Most people think of achieving balance as reaching a stagnant state. But if you look at balance in nature, the tide goes in; the tide goes out. Molecules diffuse across a cell membrane in one direction, and then move back again. [Things are in a constant state of flux, and therein lies the balance]... You can either hang on to the dock and try to stop the tide from coming in, or you can let go and just bob along in the water for awhile."
"Sometimes you need to smile and nod, and then go do your own thing."
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss)
"Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize of change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time." (Sara Paddison)
"Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive." (Elbert Hubbard)
"Everything works out in the end. If it doesn't work out, it's not the end." (my mother)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
What's the hurry?
It concerns me that so many people seem to go through life in a bubble - lost in their own little worlds (hehehe - my little brother reasons that all these people in their own little worlds are evidence for parallel universes...not sure about the plural on that one). Anyway, when I was going for a run this morning, I'm waiting on a corner for the "walk." Meanwhile, the traffic light had been green for all of 2 milliseconds, and the second car back starts honking at the poor woman first in line to go. Really? Didn't we learn in driver's ed that you should wait for a count of three after the light turns before proceeding, just in case someone decides to run the red, anyway? Don't get me wrong - I have actually honked at someone in front of me when the green arrow had been green and turned to yellow and the driver still hadn't made a move. But I swear, this driver was honking the second the light turned green. Just chill out, please.
This comes on the heels of trying to exit fairgrounds following the fireworks on the 4th with Neil. Everyone is in the same situation trying to leave. No one is going to be leaving in a hurry. Just accept it, and stop being the douche nudging right up to the car in front of you and cutting other people off so you can hurry up and get...wherever it is you think you are going... Not to mention that, if you ARE in such a hurry to leave, how is it you have time to stop and hang out the window to talk to your buddy passing by about the party you are trying to get to (meanwhile stopping all traffic flow)?
Oh, and to the driver who gave me the dirty look as I was exiting the grocery store today - I apologize for having gotten in your way. I am sorry you had to actually stop at the stop-sign and wait for me to clear the cross-walk so you could speed along your way. Forgive me, I will try to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Not like I'm such a saint, myself, and I shouldn't judge because I don't know what kind of day "you" have been having, but what happened to patience and taking turns, and waving people in, or letting pedestrians cross the street (or being a courteous pedestrian). What happened to smiling? Even when I am in the foulest of foul moods, I really try to smile at the people with whom I am interacting. And I think the reason it really bothers me is knowing that many of these people have children present--what behaviors do you think your child is learning? There is a commercial from Australia that I go so far as to show my Human Growth & Development class when we talk about Bandura and social-cognitive learning...what kind of young citizens are we raising - what kind of society will we be?
This comes on the heels of trying to exit fairgrounds following the fireworks on the 4th with Neil. Everyone is in the same situation trying to leave. No one is going to be leaving in a hurry. Just accept it, and stop being the douche nudging right up to the car in front of you and cutting other people off so you can hurry up and get...wherever it is you think you are going... Not to mention that, if you ARE in such a hurry to leave, how is it you have time to stop and hang out the window to talk to your buddy passing by about the party you are trying to get to (meanwhile stopping all traffic flow)?
Oh, and to the driver who gave me the dirty look as I was exiting the grocery store today - I apologize for having gotten in your way. I am sorry you had to actually stop at the stop-sign and wait for me to clear the cross-walk so you could speed along your way. Forgive me, I will try to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Not like I'm such a saint, myself, and I shouldn't judge because I don't know what kind of day "you" have been having, but what happened to patience and taking turns, and waving people in, or letting pedestrians cross the street (or being a courteous pedestrian). What happened to smiling? Even when I am in the foulest of foul moods, I really try to smile at the people with whom I am interacting. And I think the reason it really bothers me is knowing that many of these people have children present--what behaviors do you think your child is learning? There is a commercial from Australia that I go so far as to show my Human Growth & Development class when we talk about Bandura and social-cognitive learning...what kind of young citizens are we raising - what kind of society will we be?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Greetings
It has been over a year since I last posted. And what a crazy, crazy year it has been. Some gains, some losses; some ups and some downs. I thought about posting, but just haven't felt like writing - partly, I'm sure, because where do I even start?
I will start with the boys. First, of course, is Neil. We are approaching the three-year mark since we first met. Last summer, following a hike, as we sat near the Big Thompson River under the shade of the trees, he "practice proposed." What exactly does that mean? Well, there was no ring, no down-on-one-knee - we were just sitting there, and he kind of mumbled, "So, um, would you, like, marry me?" I still feel a little bad because I started laughing - might have even asked "what kind of proposal is that?" But after I didn't answer, he was like, "Really, though. Would you?" Ummm, of course I would! So it's basically been settled. No "official" engagement or wedding plans until after we finish school, but we're thinking some sort of outdoor potluck-type shindig.
Just last week, he decided to see just how much I loved him by taking a spill off his bicycle while riding to work and fracturing his skull on the pavement (in addition to some other cuts, bumps, and bruises--one required a staple to the back of his head, something else caused him to be bleeding out his left ear, ya' know. all-around fun). Long story short, I got a call from his mother saying some guys from his work took him to the ER since he was bleeding out his ear and losing consciousness. Fortunately, we literally live two blocks away from the hospital. Spent a couple nights there, and then he was released into my care at home - he is recovering as well as can be expected, no apparent lasting physical, cognitive, or emotional impacts except for maaaaaybe some hearing loss in that left ear (getting that checked out tomorrow), and he will be wearing his helmet every time he rides his bike from now on. Hard way to learn a lesson, but lesson learned. And not that I needed this kind of scare to realize just how important he is to me, but it really hit the point home.
Second is Tommy (okay, I've had Tommy in my life longer than I've had Neil, but I wouldn't want to offend the boy by talking about my horse first). One year ago tomorrow, I moved Tommy out to his current home at Lynchland Stables. Lynchland is close to Ft. Collins - at the time, I had planned to take a course offered through the social work department at CSU looking at animal-assisted activities & therapy. Didn't end up taking the class with all the other craziness going on, but am still at Lynchland and enjoying it! Not as many uninhabited acres of land to go riding on, but there are jumps in the large and small outdoor arenas, a cross-country field, a roundpen, a dressage arena, and an indoor arena! Tommy had been lame off-and-on, so when I moved him to Lynchland, he also got the work-up from a vet and new farrier. There are still moments of gimp, but overall, he is fat (actually looking quite athletic!), happy, and moving much better (I even let him hop over some of the logs and small cross-rails on occasion). He has been helping teach Neil the basics of groundwork and riding, and for the past few months, he has also been playing uncle to an orphaned foal taken in by Jackie (the stable owner). And on days when I'm really down, he seems to know just what to do - I think he should get "horse-of-the-year."
The other new boy in my life is Ace. Ace had already lived at Lynchland when I got there, and I got to ride him in a couple lessons. Little did I know at the time, but his owner was putting him up for sale--though I eventually ran across his profile on dreamhorse.com during one of my window-shopping endeavors :) To make a very long story short, I ended up taking Ace for a couple months on a trial basis, and then, in December 2010, Ace became mine. Just to be clear, I had zero intention of getting a second horse (I know I mentioned getting another one "someday," but "someday" referred to a time in the future when I was done with school and had a real job. oh well). Really, I did not need a second horse at all - and I still have those moments where I wonder what I was thinking, and think I have no business owning a second horse--much less one like Ace. Ace is another OTTB (off-the-track thoroughbred) gelding, same age as Tommy, but a little more neurotic and high-maintenance (which, lets be honest, is probably part of why I was attracted--I can totally relate to his personality!). So, on the one hand, there a still moments where I wonder what I have gotten myself into with him - those times when he slams on the brakes in front of a jump and I topple off; the times when he forgets how to slow down; the times when he spooks from...a bird? a stick? a shadow? goodness even knows!! And then I get frustrated not with him, but with myself, 'cause I feel like I can't provide what he needs and help him be his best. That said, he has really changed in other ways - he is curious, friendly, he has slowed down and started to think about things, he backs up off my leg (no reins), I can challenge him without him freaking out extensively and/or throwing a tantrum (even asking him to stand still used to result in pawing, stomping, tail-swishing, head-tossing, and considering rearing up). Really, despite my doubts, I like to think we were meant to be together, to grow together. And now Neil and I can ride together--him and Tommy, me and Ace.
It's a good life - me and my three boys :)
And maybe getting back to blogging will help me break free from this writer's block I've been experiencing...
I will start with the boys. First, of course, is Neil. We are approaching the three-year mark since we first met. Last summer, following a hike, as we sat near the Big Thompson River under the shade of the trees, he "practice proposed." What exactly does that mean? Well, there was no ring, no down-on-one-knee - we were just sitting there, and he kind of mumbled, "So, um, would you, like, marry me?" I still feel a little bad because I started laughing - might have even asked "what kind of proposal is that?" But after I didn't answer, he was like, "Really, though. Would you?" Ummm, of course I would! So it's basically been settled. No "official" engagement or wedding plans until after we finish school, but we're thinking some sort of outdoor potluck-type shindig.
Just last week, he decided to see just how much I loved him by taking a spill off his bicycle while riding to work and fracturing his skull on the pavement (in addition to some other cuts, bumps, and bruises--one required a staple to the back of his head, something else caused him to be bleeding out his left ear, ya' know. all-around fun). Long story short, I got a call from his mother saying some guys from his work took him to the ER since he was bleeding out his ear and losing consciousness. Fortunately, we literally live two blocks away from the hospital. Spent a couple nights there, and then he was released into my care at home - he is recovering as well as can be expected, no apparent lasting physical, cognitive, or emotional impacts except for maaaaaybe some hearing loss in that left ear (getting that checked out tomorrow), and he will be wearing his helmet every time he rides his bike from now on. Hard way to learn a lesson, but lesson learned. And not that I needed this kind of scare to realize just how important he is to me, but it really hit the point home.
Second is Tommy (okay, I've had Tommy in my life longer than I've had Neil, but I wouldn't want to offend the boy by talking about my horse first). One year ago tomorrow, I moved Tommy out to his current home at Lynchland Stables. Lynchland is close to Ft. Collins - at the time, I had planned to take a course offered through the social work department at CSU looking at animal-assisted activities & therapy. Didn't end up taking the class with all the other craziness going on, but am still at Lynchland and enjoying it! Not as many uninhabited acres of land to go riding on, but there are jumps in the large and small outdoor arenas, a cross-country field, a roundpen, a dressage arena, and an indoor arena! Tommy had been lame off-and-on, so when I moved him to Lynchland, he also got the work-up from a vet and new farrier. There are still moments of gimp, but overall, he is fat (actually looking quite athletic!), happy, and moving much better (I even let him hop over some of the logs and small cross-rails on occasion). He has been helping teach Neil the basics of groundwork and riding, and for the past few months, he has also been playing uncle to an orphaned foal taken in by Jackie (the stable owner). And on days when I'm really down, he seems to know just what to do - I think he should get "horse-of-the-year."
The other new boy in my life is Ace. Ace had already lived at Lynchland when I got there, and I got to ride him in a couple lessons. Little did I know at the time, but his owner was putting him up for sale--though I eventually ran across his profile on dreamhorse.com during one of my window-shopping endeavors :) To make a very long story short, I ended up taking Ace for a couple months on a trial basis, and then, in December 2010, Ace became mine. Just to be clear, I had zero intention of getting a second horse (I know I mentioned getting another one "someday," but "someday" referred to a time in the future when I was done with school and had a real job. oh well). Really, I did not need a second horse at all - and I still have those moments where I wonder what I was thinking, and think I have no business owning a second horse--much less one like Ace. Ace is another OTTB (off-the-track thoroughbred) gelding, same age as Tommy, but a little more neurotic and high-maintenance (which, lets be honest, is probably part of why I was attracted--I can totally relate to his personality!). So, on the one hand, there a still moments where I wonder what I have gotten myself into with him - those times when he slams on the brakes in front of a jump and I topple off; the times when he forgets how to slow down; the times when he spooks from...a bird? a stick? a shadow? goodness even knows!! And then I get frustrated not with him, but with myself, 'cause I feel like I can't provide what he needs and help him be his best. That said, he has really changed in other ways - he is curious, friendly, he has slowed down and started to think about things, he backs up off my leg (no reins), I can challenge him without him freaking out extensively and/or throwing a tantrum (even asking him to stand still used to result in pawing, stomping, tail-swishing, head-tossing, and considering rearing up). Really, despite my doubts, I like to think we were meant to be together, to grow together. And now Neil and I can ride together--him and Tommy, me and Ace.
It's a good life - me and my three boys :)
And maybe getting back to blogging will help me break free from this writer's block I've been experiencing...
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