Take a moment...

To sit and think if life were so predictable, what would be the purpose of waking up every morning, making decisions and taking risks?

If life were all laid out for you, in a cookie-cutter shaped trail, and all you had to was put auto-pilot on and go with the motions, life would be incredibly boring and we would all become complacent to the little miracles that happen every day.

The sad thing is that some people do live like this.

These little miracles could be the things that allow you to be devoid of tragedy. The cup of coffee that you needed to have, that kept you running late, only to find out that there is an accident on the very route that you take to work every day.

The little things like when a child looks up at you and says, "Why does it snow?" and as much as you know the answer, it's a little more magical to say a person called Old Man Winter has something to do with it.

The moments that a respected elder tells you a briefing about their history and as much as you try to tell them "the times have changed", you stop yourself because you're just happy that they're there to be able to tell you something you 'may already know'.

The little joys that when someone you love, takes a moment out of their day, just to tell you that you're fabulous.

Sometimes, the risks you take, don't always work out in your favor.

Or do they?

I guess it may be a matter of looking at things from an unassuming and appreciative perspective. A glass half-full approach per say. The risk you take may end up in complete and total failure, by tangible means, but a lesson can always be learned from a risk.

A lesson about yourself, a lesson about someone else, a moment where you realize who you are becoming and what you really want to stand for.

The really big miracle- the ability to be free of anything that may compromise you're ability to process and cherish the little wonders around you.

I'm not sure what inspired me to put these very words out into the world today. I guess it may have something to do with being bombarded by external pressures,  personal determination and expectations, and stepping up to the plate knowing that no one is going to bat a home run for me.

I'm going to be the girl who goes to practice, stays late and works on the fact that sometimes, not very often, but sometimes I'll miss the pitch and when I do, I analyze it so carefully that I won't miss the same pitch twice.

Everyone will pass on, but not every really lives. Take a moment, and always remember to stop and pick up that very dirty penny.

Social Media Steps It Up

The use of social media is a growing form of communication in today’s world, and is no stranger to members of the mainstream media.

Those that are in media and communications these days are finding they must familiarize themselves with the concepts that are now taking over the online world.

People are using tools like Facebook and Twitter to self-promote, advocate for something or just to send thoughts and ideas into the online world.

People are now merging Facebook and Twitter together. An example is that people are using Facebook to re-tweet information and ideas @ certain people. Only those who use Twitter would be familiar with this and thus, one must be aware of both in order to use either.

For myself, I use Facebook to stay in touch with friends, share my thoughts/ideas/photos, and promote or advertise certain events.

Facebook has been a good way to reach a large number of people; however, this varies from person to person based on the number of contacts or 'friends' one has.

Twitter is more of a means to 'status up-date' all the time. I do not use Twitter as much for no reason other than I prefer Facebook.

As far as the use of both means of social media in public relations, I think that it is a very useful tool to gain information and reach certain people in a very short amount of time.

These days, most people have their emails and social media accounts linked to their mobile devices and this allows for near instant communication. Of course this is dependent on the reliability of your sources and contacts. For the most part, social media has been a very wise tool to know how to use and I believe, has led to growth in communication of the media world.

If I were to write a book...

One question aspiring writers ask these days is ‘how can I turn my creativity into dollar bills’? Moreover, how do you produce something that will gain the attention it deserves to be published in the first place?

The publishing process is a challenge that writers face at least once in their lifetime.

The excitement and opportunity that lies within the ability to dream up ideas, write them down, and then form them into content that can be enjoyed by others is a very liberating endeavor. It can also be incredibly terrifying.

After listening to Matt Duggan words about the manuscript he put two years of blood, sweat and ink into, only to have it shot down by his editor, I felt frustrated. How can someone tell you, that your dreams aren't good enough? How can this one person, be it and editor and/or critic think that they encompass the mentality and beliefs of the general public?

If I were writing a novel, which I may do one day, all I would care about is the fact that my words would affect just one person. If one person came up to me and said, "I really took something away from that," it would all be worth it.

This is why, as a writer, if I were in a position to publish my thoughts and dreams, not only would I avoid the traditional publishing process altogether, I would hold a party, fundraise to be able to put the manuscript into production, and give it away to anyone who wanted to read it.

I think if it were truly a gem of a creation, someone would then come up to me and say, "We'd really love to publish you."

State of the City Address

This afternoon nearly 1100 Winnipeggers strode into the Winnipeg Convention Centre to hear Mayor Sam Katz deliver his 7^th annual State of the City address. These attendees were people who are members of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, non-members, and the media. Everyone was well dressed in suits as they sat in anticipation to hear the mayor speak about his visions of Winnipeg in 2011.

I was sporting a grey tie with matching high heels.

The opening address was given by Judy Murphy, the chair for the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

While everyone ate their lunch, I had the pleasure of sitting next to CBC’s Mychaylo Prystupa. Prystupa was kind enough to share some of his experiences of the reporting world with me and one story of particular fascination and determination.

Upon graduating from Ryerson College in 2004, Prystupa knew he wanted to work at CBC. He also knew he would have to do something that would set him apart from the competition. He pitched a story to CBC National News about the number one reason for fatality in Africa, road side collisions. He traveled to Uganda, Africa with a fellow journalism colleague. Having previous video journalism experience, he was able to shoot and edit his own material before his return. This tangible experience gave Prystupa support to back up his skills as a reporter and was hired by CBC upon his return.

As the address began, I thanked Prystupa for telling me his story and began to listen in on the words of Mr. Katz.

 “In how many other cities can a bakers’ son born into a struggling immigrant family have an opportunity to grow up to be the Mayor of the same city that first welcomed his parents here to begin a new life.”

-Katz

This was a sure-fire segue to set the tone regarding opportunity and potential for growth in Winnipeg in the coming year.

He spoke of the Downtown Residential Development Grant and that it has been approved for $7 million for residential projects. This will bring a total number of 800 units to the downtown area.

 The heart of the city is a place where Katz says more people need to live and breathe in.

Katz spoke of the Nature and Adventure Playground and expanded duck pond at Assiniboine Park due to open this spring. He also conveyed that the toboggan hill and skating rink have become places that Winnipeggers now go to have outdoor winter fun.

Katz overall mission through the speech was to relay his love for Winnipeg, and the potential that lies within in the year ahead.

He ended his address with famous words from Bob the Builder, “Can we build it? Yes we can!”