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personal reflections

The Grade Six Question

“When I was in grade six I wanted to grow up and be….”

This icebreaker question for December’s Creative Mornings/Vancouver was inspired by , our speaker on December 2nd.  Take a moment and think back to grade six. What made you different from others? What were you dreaming about yourself? What did you want to be?

When I was in grade six it was the year of the Calgary Olympics. We lived in a tiny Alberta farming community and I hadn’t yet found volleyball as a passion but I loved to read and was crazy about horses. I remember babysitting, breaking both my wrists falling off a horse, Disney’s Sunday Night Movies, tobogganing behind the skidoo and playing computer games. Yup, we had an Apple computer. I remember eating my first McDonalds breakfast on the way home from Edmonton after a trip to the specialist and my Dad telling me our whole town could fit in the hospital. I remember refusing to wear skirts, rocking at tetherball, and playing air band in the basement with the kids on our street. I remember arguing with a teacher about women’s equality and getting in trouble for it. I don’t remember what I wanted to be when I grew up – except older. I liked being around adults or older kids and their conversations more than kids my own age.

Here is the interesting part about this question: whatever you thought you wanted to be then in 6th grade, in some way, you are today.

I’ve been in groups where we explore this and it’s incredible how true it is. As I reflect back I see my red thread… being in conversation spaces where ideas and perspectives could be expressed, where different generations could interact, and where individuality is welcomed. I am definitely that today – it’s core to being a host of conversations. And while I’m still athletic I don’t mind wearing a skirt as much as I did back then!

In what ways are you today what you wanted to be back then?