Good morning and welcome...thanks for stopping by!

I always find myself , in these waning days of summer, remembering what it was like going back to school and all of the anxieties, excitement, and butterflies that went along with it.

Dont get me wrong, I loved school...even though I would never be classified as one of the so-called popular people...I thoroughly enjoyed everything about being there. I loved the people, the variety of subjects, and the energy that I've come to find synonymous with any learning environment. In fact, whenever I lecture at Humber College, I'm always amazed at the almost tangible rush of adrenaline I get simply from walking in the front door.

The aforementioned butterflies stemmed from a fear of the unknown. What would my teachers be like? Would any of my friends be in my class? Would this be the year I elevated my social status from Uber Geek to just moderately geeky:)

I am only partially serious about the latter concern but I do still remember how fast the social pecking order was established and how I usually ended up at the back of it. It's not that I didn't have friends, I did but they were all like me...quirky...creative...bookish types who were screaming for a make-over and blissfully unaware of it.  Our idea of a sassy Friday night was discussing the latest book we were reading, examining the symbolic meaning of well.. everything,  talking about how deep we were,  or writing poems, stories and plays to prove to everyone how deep we were:)

The funny thing is that I dont remember that being on the fringes of popularity bothered me all that much...Luckily, I come from a long line of strong women who have always marched to the beat of their own drummer . I dont thin I really cared what anyone thought of me and my band of misfits....they were my people and most of them are still a big part of my life...It was my first lesson though  in how important it is to have confidence in yourself regardless of what you look like or where you come from. School can be a cruel place for anyone who second guesses themselves and their place in the world, even for a minute.

My message to my little comrades in arms as you prepare to head back to school is this... I dont care what you look like, if your parents drive an ugly car, how much money you have, or if you're a part of the library club or the debate team....Stand tall...shoulders back...chin up...YOU ARE AWESOME...walk it...learn it ...love YOURSELF and everyone else will too.

It's okay to be different...trust me..you WILL celebrate this about yourself one day...why not make that today...

I'll be thinking of you when the bells rings on Tuesday:)