Jan 25, 2011

Life Long Learner

By Leesa Ostrander
I would like to start over. I am new to ANWA Bloggers and new
to blogging. I did not properly introduce myself.
In a quick recap of myself I am complicated and simple. I
love to write and have written for years. I am the one asked to write poems for
funeral fliers, edit/write essays for school grants and edit high school
papers, not that I am good, just willing to do it. These beautiful fun tasks came because I cannot say “no” and truly love doing it.
I live in Washington State and have two daughters, 9 and 5.
My husband is gone for three months of training in Oklahoma and I love the
freedom (I love my hunny also and need the space). We spent this last summer at
local lakes and finally love it here.
I teach Communication courses at an online college in
Arizona. This involvement fell in my lap. I was in Arizona visiting my parents,
their neighbor suggested I go to the college and drop off a resume. I went to
the college, said I wanted to work for them and here I am a year later, loving
the experience the students bring each day. I have students in high
school in the Running Start Programs to older students re-entering the
workforce. The class is a requirement and a beginning level; this gives me a
huge variety of stories, examples and head-scratching moments.
I am an EMT or Emergency Medical Technician. I went to
school in my earlier years to go to medical school. Both times I applied, I
became pregnant in the approval process. I took this as the Lord saying, “No,
no. Medical school is not for you.” I say this because I was violently ill with
both girls. I still want to be involved in the medical field and after 17 years
of dental assisting, I rested my aching wrists and traded it for lifting adults
onto gurneys.  
I travel. I love to get up and move. We spend summers in New
York, once in Greece, and roaming the Pacific Northwest. This year we are summer road tripping down California’s Highway 1, over to Arizona and back up through Utah. These will be very exciting times in the Ostrander car, any takers on sitting between the squabbling siblings?
I am a forever student. We are students in our homes
and neighborhoods. I took this further and am working on my third degree and
fourth certificate program. I love the process of learning, how you can
affect change in a small way and leave a lasting impression. I go to MOPS, to
learn about people and the messages that come from a different point of view. I
love listening to my visit teaching partner give her lesson, full of life’s
experiences, dripping in love of our Lord and completely blanketed with the
Spirit. (hehe  -I know I feel like I am at a Round Tuit Writing excersise) I want to learn from her and one day, hope my daughter will say something similar about me.
In closing, I want to share it is the learning moments in
daily life that affect the future generations. If each simple mistake or
triumph is celebrated as a gift, it will make us stronger, more grateful and
ready to use our words for positive influence. This is my goal to be a positive
force in my family’s life, that they will have light is the stressful times
ahead.
With this, I bid you adieu.  

6 comments:

  1. Love it Leesa! You are a very talented writer.

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  2. Awesome post! It's great to get to know you better.

    When I attempted to return to school, I, too, became violently ill. It turned out I was having twins, although we didn't know it until they made their appearance. After two weeks of classes on the second floor, and running downstairs to the bathroom on the first floor to upchuck, I quit. Life became too complex with three little ones under the age of two, so I didn't ever get a degree, but I've been a life-long learner anyway. If I could get credit for what I've learned on my own, I'd probably come out with a couple of degrees. :-)

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  3. Very true, Marsha. that is a lot of running and stairs are scary when you do not feel well. Life experience can be more qualitative.

    Many people and my students from years past did not know how much school I did. To me it is not as important as it is if you can apply the knowledge to life and be a happy person.

    Was it in the last conference that one of the talks was about being a life-long learner? I remember something about if we can choose to learn, we can fulfill or duty here.

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  4. Love getting to know you Leesa! Great post. Good for you for being a life long learner. I keep chipping away at school. I am doing the BGS program through BYU...for the second go round. I didn't quite finish the first time. I love celebrating mistakes and triumphs...especially if it involves chocolate!

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  5. Great post, Leesa! It was fun learning some new things about you . . . although you didn't mention that you are now learning Zumba!

    ReplyDelete

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