365/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. This is it. The end is finally here. My year-long gratitude journey comes to a close with this final post and to quote that song – I did “Save the Best for Last”. Yes, that may sound very narcissistic but that’s the entire point of this gratitude post. It’s about me. And why can’t one or rather why shouldn’t one recognize themselves. Take pride in their own accomplishments. Think highly of themselves. If you don’t think well of yourself and put yourself first, why should anyone else think any better of you. I have always done that and never let what was happening in my life change the way I see myself. Maybe that’s why I’ve gotten through all that life has thrown me and I’ve shown life that I believe in me, and so should everyone else. I’m far from perfect and I can admit my foibles but they don’t define me – I focus on the positives. This year long journey has allowed me to become even more comfortable in my own skin – I mean, I got a belly from inactivity this year (through no fault of my own – injuries and sickness) and the Randy of a year ago would have been obsessing over it but today’s Randy is oh well, I’ll work on it. I went through a relationship crisis that I am still working on but I’m not so consumed that I won’t allow myself to enjoy what life puts in my way at the moment. I fully embraced aging – denying in my 40s but wearing it proudly in my 50s – I mean I accepted my grey hair finally purple shampoo withstanding 😉 I make fun of myself because I know that I am sometimes not the brightest bulb but I still shine bright (maybe not like a diamond though) : ) I am proud of my ethnicity and no longer denying it. I admit and own up to my weaknesses and character flaws and am trying to learn to improve myself. I’ve opened up over the past year. I’ve shared more than most people share in a lifetime and only then to a few close people. I’ve alienated people but I’ve also earned the respect of others. I am strong. I am weak. I am bold. I am nervous. I want to be accepted. I want to accept. I want to be loved. I want to love. I want to be respected. I want to be needed. I want to be heard. But with all that, I am so very happy with myself. I am a good person. I try hard. I don’t always succeed but I have a good heart. Yes, I hurt but that won’t get in the way of me still being me. I know I’m too much for a lot of people but I’m not going to change for anyone as I love who I am and how I put myself out there. And I love the people who have stood by me and who support me. I am me. I have a lot more to learn about myself and still open up about that 365 days didn’t allow but in the end, what I undertook and finished and who I am as a result is someone I am very proud of! On this last day, I thank me, myself and I as I am a pretty awesome guy if I don’t say so myself ; )
July 23 – my wife
364/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. Here it is. The penultimate post. The one that I wanted to write so many times but wasn’t ready for. This one is for my wife – Lak. I have not prepped my wife for this. Yes, it may be wrong of me but I have to go with my heart. I know that she is the yin to my yang and thus, this post is not what she would want as she is a very private person but I have been honest and public throughout the year and I have to finish on the same path. My wife and I had an introduced marriage – not arranged as both of us had a “choice” to say no. I had met several girls but the moment I saw her, I knew that she was the one. Unfortunately for her, I was the first guy she met so she really didn’t get a chance to see others. I know that we both felt pressured to get married – her more so than me and both of us being good children did what we were supposed to (this was the late 80s). She was only 19 and I was 22 when we ended up getting married. That first year – in fact the first couple of years – we were like a dating couple trying to get to know each other, figure each other out while being legally married at the same time. I will say it straight up – I was not the best of husbands. I was, I guess we both were, children thrown into this situationship but I acted like it; however, Lak was and is the one who could handle it and had/has maturity beyond her years. I know I didn’t make the marriage easy on her but she sacrificed who she was to make it work and only in the past couple of years have I realized the things she has done to make sure that our home was a home and how she put her own needs after everyone else’s. Yes, I took things for granted. She is an amazing mother. I fully recognize that. Our daughter is a damn, wonderful young woman and it’s because of Lak and the tight bond that the two of them have and share. My son, although he likes to pretend mom doesn’t matter, is her baby boy. He adores her but won’t admit it. She has been wonderful to them and has always put the kids first. I know that is said of many mothers but Lak actually does it and I know my daughter realizes it and my son will also once he becomes a young adult and I definitely realize it though I should have acknowledged it more. Not only is Lak physically stunning – yes, I’ve been told by several people (hundreds in fact) on how beautiful she is and what is she doing with me and yes, that’s a good question – but she is a very kind hearted, generous person to all those around her, a full time working mom (and has been since before the children were born and while they were young – never taking any time off) and a responsible daughter as well as good cousin, sister and friend. As the years progressed and as does happen in many relationships, ours took a turn for the worse. The boat that you thought was sailing along smoothly, capsized not as a result of some storm that you could have predicted and planned for but more due to the neglect of the maintenance required for the boat and then just getting used to it and the apathy towards the repairs that were necessary. The boat tried to right side but would take on a lot of water and thus, we decided to take time apart from each other to reassess the boat itself as a vessel – I moved out. New uncharted territory for both of us. I decided to go public about the separation and with my feelings (freshly starting the gratitude posts into the first year of the separation); whereas, Lak wanted to deal with our relationship privately. In retrospect, I totally understand her reasoning but in the moment, I wasn’t hearing it – something that has been my downfall throughout the almost 30 year relationship. I definitely could have been a more understanding, more helpful, more there for her, more in tune with her needs type of husband. Alas, I wasn’t and I apologize for my shortcoming but here we are back in the same space co-parenting our teenage son. Where is this relationship between the two of us going to go? I couldn’t even begin to guess. Today’s post is not meant to be a public apology to undo the past but rather a public acknowledgement of gratitude for you, Lak being a great wife over the years to my not-so-perfect husband. Thank you for sharing your life with me and wherever our roads lead us – either together on the same one, side by side intersecting here and there or in two opposite directions, I wanted to say I’ve loved sharing the journey and yes, I do love you!
July 22 – U
363/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. Wow, only 3 more gratitude posts left including this one!! When I started this journey a year ago, I was a little nervous as to if I would have 365 people to thank. I didn’t want it to come down to posts such as thanking my mailman for the flyers he delivers in that they were the ones that led me on to some awesome deal!! ; ) Early on in these posts, I started hearing from friends that so and so had made “the list”. I didn’t understand what that was until I was told that it was my “gratitude list”. That put some pressure on me to say the least as there was now a “list”. I didn’t want it to be a list and I didn’t want it to be some type of contest. Then I heard that some people mentioned they were in the 80s and others were in the 200s! I do have to make it clear that I haven’t had an order as to who I thank and thus whatever number gratitude post it was has no relation to ranking. Most posts are the night before or a couple of days before. Yes, I saved my dad for his birthday as I did with my children for theirs, my mom was first because well she is my mom but save for them and the final two gratitude posts, no one had a day or a number. The list by the end of Sunday is far from complete. I could thank another 365 people who got me to where I am today and this is what today’s gratitude post is about – to all of the people I didn’t name and there are hundreds of you that have impacted me! So many former students, co-workers past and present, family members, inlaws, bosses, professors, fellow students, random strangers, neighbours past and present, friends, backhanded gratitudees (bullies and the like), service providers, celebrities etc, etc – just so many people who have made me who I am and to all of you un-named in this past year, you are part of this gratitude journey just because you were not personally mentioned here doesn’t mean you weren’t recognized by me. To all the new people that will come in to my life, thanking you in advance as some of you will change and influence me in new ways. Thank you to all of you who came along with me on this 365 day journey as well. Your encouragement and support has gotten me to this end point.
July 21 – friends in all places
362/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. Do you have those friends that you can pick up where you left off be it a couple of months or even a couple of years? I’m lucky enough to say that I have several friends that I can do this with. I don’t have to be in constant contact with someone just so to maintain the friendship. Maybe that’s the case for all people and if it is, then I think that’s a good thing! One of the friends that fit into this category is Scott. We have been friends for almost a decade now. Yes, there are times when I can get on his nerves and vice versa and we take a subconscious break from each other. But when we do connect again, it is relatively easy. The cool thing about our friendship is that we introduce each other to different elements. I have learned of the funky, off the beaten path East Van pubs and venues – in fact, a lot more about East Van as a neighbourhood than had we not been friends. As well, our friendship has taught me a little bit more about patience and adaptability as I don’t necessarily agree or see things the same way but those are important things in a friendship in order for growth to take place. Thanks Scott for giving me a different perspective on things in life that are definitely outside my realm of knowledge and I hope I have done the same for you.
July 20 – so young
361/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. Back in the day, my Accounting teacher told me that in life there are three definites: death, taxes and car accidents. That hit me. I didn’t know about any of them at age 17. I learned about taxes pretty quickly – take home vs gross pay – pretty ugly. Yes, I’ve had my fair share of fender benders – small accidents thankfully. I did not experience any immediate family loss until well into my 40s. Yes, so very rare and very fortunate but I did attend funerals prior to this. Sadly, as a teacher, they were of my students. I have been teaching high school since 1991 and have taught well into the thousands of young minds. They are perpetually 17 or 18 years old to me. Lives full of potentiality! A lot of them feel like extended family because I get to know them as young adults since I teach grade 11 and 12. With the advent of social media, I have gotten to keep in touch with them and get to see what they are getting up to in their lives and I vicariously take pride in their successes and when there are failures in their lives, I also feel that sense of loss. Thus to hear/find out that these young, amazing people have passed away well before their prime was something that I was not prepared for. The one that struck me the most was Chris. He was in my and the school’s (Burnett) first graduating class ever. Chris had it all. Height, model looks, girlfriend on his arm, athleticism, university acceptance, amazing family and a wonderful and humble personality. Always respectful to me and constantly smiling and just an all around nice guy. This is exactly who I wanted to have as a son if I ever had a son (which would happen a couple years later). The day that I heard that he was killed in a car accident shortly after graduation devastated me. This was the first death of a person I had known. It was a student. There should be distance. This should not affect me. I didn’t know him that well. He was just in my class. I tried making the excuses but it did affect me. He was like a “child” to me as are many of the students that I teach and end up bonding with. He was an amazing young man with his whole life in front of him. He has stuck in my mind. He has forever affected me. Yes, there have been other students. None as young as him yet none of them any less important but Chris was that special young man. Chris made me realize that in my career as teacher, the students that I work with will also affect me just as much as I affect them and all I wish upon their graduations is not only for their happiness but that they lead long and happy lives. Yes Chris, you are gone, but you are never forgotten! Thank you for coming into my life and showing me that teaching is more than just teaching – it’s about connections, memories and relationships.
July 19 – remedy
360/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. Most of you probably don’t know that I have a medical condition (sarcoidosis) which has resulted in a compromised immune system – I get sicker faster and stay sicker longer than most people (I’ve had a cough/chest cold for 11 weeks running as of this moment!). I am at St Paul’s Hospital two to three times a year (and have been for the last decade) undergoing heart monitoring, breathing tests, CT scans and xrays, in addition to weekly blood work, and daily/weekly ingestion of prednisone or methotrexate coupled with two inhalers. My respirologist, who I have thanked earlier, is amazing but today’s gratitude post is for the entire provincial healthcare system. Yes, many of us complain about our medical system but I am not one of those as I am constantly in and out of doctor’s and specialist’s offices, constantly in labs and constantly hooked up to various machines just so some sort of understanding can take place about the condition I have. Have I gotten better – unfortunately, no – just a bit worse each year but I’m not upset or jaded and one of the those reasons is that my experiences in the medical system have been easy and the people have always been friendly. The people who do the breathing tests know me by face and joke with me that I am an expert – hence, when I’m scheduled, I get the students working with the veteran on me (happened today). The secretaries at the various doctor’s ensure that my four appointments at the hospital are all coordinated and are at least in a four hour time period in one day rather than all over the calendar. Yes, I may have to wait a few extra weeks on occasion, but I can’t and won’t complain. The techs in the blood lab – already queasy just typing it – know that I hate the sight of blood so they get it done as quick and as fast – or as fast as 8 vials of blood can be removed. I am still healthy, I can still do all that I want to do but when I do have to spend my time related to my medical conditions in the “system”, I am glad that the system takes care of me well in all aspects!
July 18 – Pokemon Go indeed!
359/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. This post was never supposed to happen. I rarely play tablet/phone games except for Trivia Crack and Songplay. They are fine. They have not consumed my life. I didn’t get the intrigue of any type of gaming apps until last week. I downloaded Pokemon Go. Actually, I didn’t. We didn’t have it here in Canada. I just put a random query as to how to get it and my grade 12 graduate of this year, Sam, sent me the link. I got on and I got hooked. I have never connected with random strangers in person as I have with this app. First of all, I actually want to go and walk my dog. Before this, I would hope that my children or my wife had walked him. In the last week, I have taken him – and sometimes on two walks!! I have gone up to places and when I realized that there were teenagers there Pokemon-ing, I pretended to text while in fact I’m catching one! Today was surreal. I was at elementary preschool and the little kids figured out very quickly what I was doing while waiting to let them into the school. I had a swarm around me giving me advice and what to do and what not to do. The instant connection. I have seen them for the last two weeks but this Pokemon Go phenomenon just brought me down to a relatable level for them. Then, this afternoon, I am walking through Steveston Park (with my dog Shadow) and a few teenagers are on a bench. As I approach them cell phone in hand, they immediately ask – “Pokemon Go?!” and I look up and smile and a conversation happens. This would never have happened if not for this game. I would just have passed them and they wouldn’t ever have acknowledged me but here it is – generations connecting. Plus, as alluded to earlier, I want to be out and about. On the weekend, sitting with a friend beering and I am Pokemoning and the server is all enthralled and I keep her updated as to how many Pokemons I have caught (13 in a 90 minute stint at that table!!!). Yes, this gratitude post was never on my horizon but in one week, I am sparking conversations with random strangers of all ages (okay, all ages below mine) as are they with me. Thank you Pokemon Go creators for a game that allows me to be active and interactive inter-generationally with others at my age of almost 51!
July 17 – save the last dance
358/365 -people to thank who have had an impact on me. I am the type of guy who thinks that everything in life will always work out. The philosophy that I employ in my teaching life is that I, as teacher, am not there to mold students but to rather unfold them as they bring to my class (and to me) a sense of who they are. Education is not to indoctrinate but to introduce. I feel that I and my colleagues are there to get students to enjoy something about school and to try and reach a potential – not necessarily their full potential but to start on it. That has been mindset when it comes to my students and perhaps that is naïve on my part but that’s what I believe and I have met many of them as adults and see how they are living their lives and I’m really happy for them as they are on that path. Earlier this year, and don’t judge me here, I, with a buddy, ended up at an, ahem, a gentlemen’s club. We just walked in on a lark and ended up at the stage – let me repeat, don’t judge 😉 We are having beers and talking to each other and sadly, which is normally the case, not paying much attention to the entertainment. As I’m engaged, I hear “Mr Sangha? Is that you?” 8/ I was in shock. I looked up and I immediately recognized A!! I had taught her more than a decade ago in grade 12 and well, here she was – uhm, in all her glory – on stage. I could not look at her and she sensed my unease and comfort. My buddy was in shock – no doubt as I was stunned beyond belief. I sat there, consciously avoiding any inadvertent gaze at the stage because to me, my former students are perpetually 17 and 18. A finished her set and robed up and came right up to me. All eyes in the establishment were on us as it was a weird bonding but no one knew she was my former student. She gave me a hug and as I do with my former students, I gave her one – I would not have rejected her as this the exact moment where I realized that I had no right to judge. Before this moment in time, this type of entertainer didn’t really elicit any emotion from me (be it positive or negative) as I didn’t think there would be anything ever linking us but here was super smart, keener A in that same role. We sat, had drinks and talked about how she got to where she was. It was a great heart to heart and I understood a lot more about her life circumstances that brought her to this moment. She could tell I was dejected and she told me that I was still one of the teachers that she remembered and that she hoped I wasn’t disappointed in her. That did it – damn, tears welled up – here is this stunning biracial beauty who was an athlete and academic achiever in front of me again and everything else I had just seen (actually avoided) and heard was out the window. I gave her another hug. Wished her well. That moment stays with me and now I realize that yes, I can have expectations for my students but they have their realities and just because I have defined potentialities doesn’t mean that they aren’t reaching them – just a different set of them given their life circumstances. Thank you A for schooling me!
July 16 – let my personality talk
357/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. I’ll be the first to admit it, most of the Professional Development opportunities that are provided at the school level don’t usually meet most teachers’ needs. We are in a session listening (being talked at) and I am often left wondering how the subject matter benefits my teaching practice. Because I had this sentiment, I took upon the role of our school’s Pro D chair so that there would be opportunities that would appeal to more of the teachers as a whole. One of the best sessions, in my opinion, was one of the earliest ones around personality types and how certain types of people interact and are either energized or drained by other personality types. Rosa, a fellow teacher and Pro D committee member, said that she would conduct the 90 minute session. I will be honest – I was nervous as I didn’t know how the session would play out as the staff might not take a fellow staff member as seriously as a speaker brought in for a specific topic. I also felt that “I know this stuff” since I taught Psychology and yes, I knew the stuff but Rosa brought a whole different twist to personality types and really changed my understanding. I listened intently to her as did the rest of the staff and we participated in the activities to eventually find our personalities and people similar to us on staff. As I walked over to my “extrovert, loud, energized by others, jump to big ideas, small details come later” personality, there was the female drama teacher. Of course we would be alike!! : ) However, that was not what surprised me – I looked around at the other groups, especially the groups that were directly opposite of my personality type and I found myself nodding. But I was nodding at what was explained by Rosa during the session and how my big personality could be too much for their personality type and I was nodding as it all made sense to me. Although I understood the different types, I did not fully understand the interactions that take place between personality types and how, for example, someone like me could easily be frustrated with the personality type who is meticulous over facts or vice versa. This session also helped me better understand my students and how I could actually be way too intense for some – something I really wasn’t cognizant of and just assumed they would have to get used to me. No, I won’t be changing up my personality to please others but because of Rosa, I do understand that I can tweak my interactions and/or have a better understanding of why I may rub people a certain way and why they do the same to me. Thanks Rosa for giving me a great perspective on something I thought I knew which not only is useful in my professional life, but also in my personal life. Good thing too that we have similar personality types ; )
July 15 – school’s out forever
356/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. This gratitude post is for every former student who has stayed in touch with me/kept in contact with me. For those who are on my Facebook feed and will give an occasional comment or a like on some ridiculous life event that I have posted, I appreciate you. For those who spot me in a restaurant or pub and come up and shake hands/give me a hug, I am honoured. For those who are going about their life be it at an event or working in the community and I happen to be there unknowingly and you go out of your way to say hi, I am moved. For those of you who throw out a text and ask to connect over beers/movie/dinner, I feel privileged. For those of you who take it upon yourselves (years later) to send me a shout out telling me how I affected you positively, I am beyond words. I feel I have been very fortunate to have become a teacher but it’s all because of the amazing former students that I got to work with. The majority were from Burnett – 16 years’ worth!! I have only been at McNair for four years so the legacy is just being created as of yet but there are the rare few that fit into this category and I was only in Vancouver for two years at different schools and thus, made minimal connections. Although this gratitude post might be short in length, it’s huge in how I feel about the students I have worked with – just because you didn’t get a personal shout out during this past year doesn’t mean you didn’t impact me in some form as we all have different ways of connecting but thank you to all of you who have passed through my doors but more importantly to all of you that I still “connect” with.
randysangha 