#25- Ethics Class

Yesterday's ethics lecture marked my last journalism class of third year. I wasn't running around trying to get a story or furiously editing scripts for a newscast as you might expect from a finale to my course, but my ethics lessons are just as important as the practical side of things.

Without ethics I couldn't do my job properly. The whole foundation of journalism is built on core values like being fair and balanced and minimizing harm while presenting the truth to the public. Sometimes these values are hard to keep a hold of in the race to find stories, scoop the competition and get sources to talk to you. The main thing my ethics class taught me was to slow down, consider all angles of a complex situation and that talking to people about it is the best way to come to an ethical conclusion.

My ethics class wasn't all about figuring out gloomy conundrums though. I got to be creative in the presentation I had to give, figuring out I can do a 1930s detective movie voice in the process. I was able to spend more time with a group of people that have become good friends in the last year because of our crazy adventures through the world of journalism. And we got to do all this in really comfy chairs to boot!

So I am grateful for my ethics class and my professor and the people in the class. I am grateful for the way it taught me to look at the world differently, how it helped me see how I can do my job better and how the world is definitley a shade of grey. My ethics class made me ask those questions that you never want to consider, but it definitley made me better and for that I am grateful.     

#24- Boxes

One of the best parts of getting a birthday present or Christmas gift is ripping off the wrapping paper and tearing apart the box to find what ever is inside. In those final seconds, the anticipation builds and at the same time you are finally satisfying your curiosity.

But what I never thought about was what went into making that box that is so useful. That changed the summer I worked at a box factory.

Working at that factory was an eye-opener. I got to see how much work went into making a box, how many boxes are needed by all sorts of people and how people base their lives and careers off of boxes including engineers, mechanics, business people and factory workers.

Boxes are so common in this world it is like they are invisible to us, but without them and the people who make them, it would be hard to carry your bulk purchases of oranges or Kleenex or beer for that matter. It would be hard to transport food and medical supplies to people who need them in places near or far. Without boxes what would we have had to build forts as kids?!

So I am grateful for boxes and especially the people who make them. I know what it is like to construct boxes as a job and I have a lot of appreciation for these people who make something that most of us will use every day, but never think about. I am grateful for boxes and how useful they are for everyone in the world, from shaping a child's imagination to carrying a gift from a grandchild to grandparents.

#23- Shukas

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering. As I often do, I had kicked off all my blankets and they were on the floor, too far for my sleep-addled brain to consider reaching. Good thing my trusty shuka was lying next to me. I covered myself with the warm shuka and fell blissfully back to sleep.

You may be asking yourself what a shuka is exactly. Well it is a short of a blanket type piece of fabric or cloth. The first time I encountered a shuka was in the Maasai Mara in Kenya in 2008. One of our guides and friends Wilson wore a red shuka almost every day. 

I was told on the trip that a shuka was a good thing to have during the cold nights in the Mara, so I bought one on our second day there. That was one of the best decisions of my life. That shuka kept me so warm during our stay in Kenya, through the cold nights that sort of took me by surprise.

But besides being a great thing to warm myself up with, the shuka stands as a reminder of my time in Kenya. Yes I have pictures, but my shuka is something I can touch and feel and remember all the good times I had on my trip, all the lessons I learned and the friendships that were made or that grew. Most of all it is a reminder of one of the greatest times of my life.

So I am grateful for my red and blue checkered shuka. I am grateful that it keeps me warm during cold nights. I am grateful for the people that made the shuka and that it has been with me through a lot of new and amazing experiences. Most of all I am grateful that my shuka is a memory that I can hold in my hands to remind me of all the great things I have had the honor of being a part of.  

#22- Pasta

After a long news cast day in my radio class I was very hungry, but I really didn't want to spend a lot of time and energy cooking. I knew exactly what I would make for dinner: pasta.

Pasta is the best meal to have when you're tired, but looking for a hearty meal. It's fast, takes almost no prep and is a fast clean up. And most importantly it tastes great and fills my stomach.

I have always said that if I could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would probably be pasta because it comes in so many different types and can go with so many different sauces and vegetables and meats. If variety is the spice of life than pasta is the spiciest food there is as far as I'm concerned.

I will admit, my love of pasta isn't all about the stomach. Coming from Italian roots, pasta is something that brings my family together over dinners, sauce making days and impromptu cooking lessons. I've had some of the best conversations and learned some of the greatest lessons over a plate of pasta with my family.

That's not to say I haven't had these great times eating pasta with friends, because I have, and the time I made pasta from scratch with my girlfriend gave me a newfound appreciation for the food.

So I am grateful for pasta. I am grateful that it nourishes me after a long, hard day, how it can be rich and jam packed with ingredients or simple and quick and be just as delicious, elegant and fun. I am grateful that pasta has brought my loved ones together on so many occasions and given me one more thing from my heritage that I can be proud of. I am grateful that there is a food that I can think about with both my stomach and my heart. 

#21- 24 Hour Restaurants

Last night, at around midnight, all my stomach could think about was getting a burger. And, as often happens, my stomach demanded my brain think the same way.

So I hightailed it to the McDonald's close to a friend’s house, got the coveted burger and was very satisfied.

That whole scene happens more often than it probably should, as it pays a heavy toll on both my fitness and my wallet, but it also goes to show how fortunate I am to have access to restaurants that run all day and night.

Living in Ottawa, a relatively big city, I am lucky enough to have these restaurants, be able to get to them and be able to get food. To have the opportunity to have food when ever I get hungry is something that I am so fortunate to have, but having an abundance of options is even greater.

So I am grateful for 24 hour restaurants, the availability of food, the friends I can eat with, the people who run these restaurants and the people who make my food. It makes me realize how fortunate I am, 24 hours a day.

#20- Crosswords

I am on the verge of becoming a hoarder.

As I look around my room I can see five or six Metro crosswords strewn around and I know that there are five or six more in my school bag.

These crosswords keep me company on the bus or between classes or when I'm eating. They help me to excercise my brain and think outside of the box. I usually can't figure them out completely, and I never seem to be able to let them go.

Instead of throwing them in the recycling I shove them in my bag. It sort of reminds me of all the workouts my brain has gone through and all the times crosswords have saved me from staring into the abyss in absolute boredom.

Plus, I have some good memories of filling in crosswords with my friends and sometimes they remind me of those fun times and the teamwork that went into solving the puzzle.

So I am grateful for crosswords and the people who take the time to draw them up and the people who put them in the Metro so I can test myself every day and keep from going crazy on long bus rides. I am grateful for all the fun times I have had doing crosswords with friends and the simple feeling of victory when we work together. I may be slowly morphing into a pack rat, but I think if people ever point out all the half finished crosswords in my room, I'l tell them all I can see is memories. 

#19- My "L" Key

I believe the simple things in life are some of the best to be grateful for and the L key on my computer keyboard is the epitome of that motto.

For about two or three months my L key has been sticking and I have had to copy the L and press Ctrl + V every time I needed to type the letter.

I like to write, or type, a lot and school demands it be this way anyways, so losing a key was like losing a member of my team that I relied upon. When you're focused on an idea and on a roll, pressing Ctrl + V throws you off a bit. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was one of those moments that makes you see how at times you only appreciate things when they are taken away from you.

Today, though, as I went to write this post I absentmindedly pressed the L and it worked! After weeks of working it, showing it tough love and gentle wiggling to try to make it work, the button just unstuck itself. Now I am enjoying only having to hit one button for an L. 

I know this victory seems really trivial, but it makes me realize that I can't take so many things for granted. The little things that we never seem to pay too much attention to are some of the most important and L showed that to me.

So I am grateful for my L button, for the amount of work I can get done with it working in harmony with my other keys, for being able to to write my essays and blog posts and articles a little easier than before. I know that in a few minutes or a few days or a few weeks my L may give out again, but for now I'll enjoy having a member of the team back again. 

#18- Glass Warming

The first few days of spring have been a little chilly in Ottawa. That is to say they have been below freezing most of the time.

The upside to that it has been sunny most of the time too and that means I have managed to stay nice and warm thanks to trusty, glass windows.

When the sun goes through the glass and into my house, or my school or where ever I am, it becomes the nice warming rays of late spring and not the cold, teasing sunshine of mid winter. 

So I can sit in a bus shelter behind the glass and feel the sun on my face while still breathing in some fresh air and pretend I am sitting on a dock somewhere.

I can also find that little patch of sun coming in through my window and onto my bed, curl up like a cat and read a good book. 

So I am grateful for the way glass warms up the rays of the sun. I am grateful for the nice hint of warmth it allows me to enjoy as I wait for the bus or read the paper in the atrium between classes. And I am grateful that the glass in this city is trying to let spring in, even if the weather isn't quite ready to do the same.  

#17- Indoor Plumbing

One night last year, while my housemates and I were watching the Olympics, we heard the toilet bubble and the splash of water on the tiled floor. A minute later we could feel the the carpet getting wet and ran to shut off the water.

And just like that, our indoor plumbing was gone.

We couldn't go to the bathroom, or brush our teeth or do laundry or drink water from the tap because one of our pipes had clogged up.

What was an inconvenience to us (it was fixed in a few hours) is the reality of millions around the world who do not have running water in their houses, or washing machines for their clothes or toilets. People walk kilometres to get water for cooking, cleaning, bathing and drinking, whereas I have it a few steps away.

The first time I came to appreciate how lucky I am in regards to indoor plumbing was on my trip to Kenya. The incident last winter elbowed me in the ribs and helped me to remember how I shouldn't take it for granted.

So I am grateful for the indoor plumbing I have and for the ability to get clean water for anything I could need right in my own house and I am reminded how fortunate I am to have these things every time I turn on the tap. 

#16- Twitter

It seems like just yesterday Twitter was born. Now, just five years later, the social networking site has tens of millions of users and posts millions of tweets each day.

They sure do grow up fast don't they?

I am a recent convert to this Twitter-mania that is going on at the moment. I started my account about a month ago and although I was a little skeptical about the benefits I have come to value Twitter a lot in the past few weeks.

But my adoration for Twitter isn't just about how I can get the latest news from CBC quickly, or get great story ideas or even how I can get my own messages out and keep in touch with friends.

It is more about how the global community is coming together to share messages of hope, or voice their opinion, or start a revolution. It's about people becoming politically involved who did not have that option before. It's about sharing an important story that would have never othewise gotten out. It is about alerting people to great art, music, recipes or causes.

Thanks to Twitter we are all connecting to each other in a positive way. I have yet to see any messages of hate on Twitter. I am sure they are out there, but hopefully the flood of positivity I see in all those 140-character messages can overwhelm the bad.

So I am grateful for Twitter and the outlet it gives me and millions of other people to get their voices out or, to campaign for freedom, human rights or simply better music on the airwaves. I am grateful it gives people a chance to mingle in a giant, global party of sorts. Happy birthday Twitter, keep on flapping those wings.  

#15- Snow in March

After a weekend full of sunshine, dry ground and green grass, the sky opened up and dumped about 5 cm of snow on the city today. It was not the best way to celebrate the first day of spring.

As I walked out of school in the afternoon and I saw huge snow flakes coming down and the ground coated in white I grumbled a bit under my breath. It just didn't seem fair that all the snow was almost done melting and now the whole process had to start all over again.

But as I was walking to the bus I looked up and saw a group of snow covered tress. Their bark had turned white, like someone had dipped the trees in icing sugar. It was a pretty amazing sight to say the least.

I had forgotten that while spring is beautiful and fresh and vibrant, snow could blanket the world in beauty as well. I forgot that where Mother Nature makes it frustrating and miserable to get around, it makes up for it by making it easier for you to smile or to stand speechless.

So I am grateful for snow in March. Even though I am going to have to contend with slush and snow and puddles for the next little bit, the sight of those trees covered in snow is what I will remember in a month's time and it will have been worth it. 

#14- Supermoon

I glanced out my window last night and was suddenly hit with a case of saying-a-really-cliched-phrase-out-loud.

It went something like this: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's, it's...SUPERMOON!

I grabbed my camera and ran outside to take a picture, but as hard as I tried, the camera would just not do the sight justice. I guess you can't capture something like that with anything other than your eyes and your mind.

So I just stood outside and marveled at the moon, closer to earth than it has been in 18 years and brighter than any genius. This phenomenon made me think about the power and beauty of nature and how amazing the view from the moon would be.

I also spent a great deal of time trying to see the man in the moon. I couldn't figure it out.

When I was walking back to my house I wished the street lights would go out so the moon could be the only thing lighting my way.

So I am grateful for the Supermoon, its brilliance, the magic it holds and how when I looked at it I knew that anyone, anywhere in the world who was looking could see the same amazing moon and it reaffirmed that none of us are all that different from eachother.