Category Archives: April A-Z Challenge
I is for… (#atozchallenge)
- I is for…
- Clark, F.A, Jackson, J. and Carlson, M. 2004. Occupational Science, Occupational Therapy and Evidence-based Practice: What the Well Elderly Study has Taught Us. In: Molineux, M. 2004. Occupation for Occupational Therapists. Oxford: Blackwell Publications, 200-218.
- Iwama, M. 2010. Cultural Perspectives on Occupation. In. Christiansen, C.H., Townsend, E.A., 2010. Introduction to Occupation: The Art and Science of Living, 2nd ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 35-55.
- Wilcock, A.A. 2003. Occupational Science: The Study of Humans as Occupational Beings. In: Kramer, P., Hinojosa, J., Brasic Royeen, C. 2003. Perspectives in Human Occupation: Participation in Life. Philadeplhia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 156-180.
Identity (and iPad)
As you may have seen my blog is not just on one theme, it’s not just a writing blog, not just an OT blog, not just a PhD student blog (not yet even but elements coming soon), it’s a me blog (ooo doesn’t that sound self-centred?). Now I could have had two or three separate blogs but I would find it so difficult to split what went where. All of these different elements form my identity and I wouldn’t feel right splitting them.
As an occupational therapist I believe that our sense of self and identity comes from what we do (the ‘occupations’ or activities we engage in our daily lives) and the roles we play. As such our occupations play a huge part in our personal feelings of health and wellbeing.
Wilcock (2003, p. 175) cite Whiteford and Wicks (2000, p.48) who discuss the idea of an ‘occupational persona’:
“That dimension of self shaped by a myriad of factors both biological and sociocultural, which is predisposed, as well as driven toward, engagement in certain types of occupations. Through the process of such engagement and the outcomes generated, the occupational persona is shaped, and to some extent reinvented over time.”
Iwama (2010) also suggests that self is ‘embedded in the environment‘.
To me these quotes mean that aspects of our personal nature (things like being an owl or a lark, short or tall, shy or extrovert) as well as nurture (how/where we are bought up, what opportunities we were afforded) as well as our environmental contexts (the place we live and work and socialise), the people around us, the culture we are, shape what we do and thus our identity. This can change and develop over time.
I always hear people I know, and myself, saying “I couldn’t do what they do”. This is most definitely a good thing. After all we need all types of people doing all types of things to make society work.
Within the last few years I have been diagnosed with dyspraxia, I’ve clearly always been dyspraxic and having read about the condition I can see that it has always affected me. Although I now tick the box to say I have a disability, generally I would not identify myself as disabled. Others though may feel differently and if I had had this diagnosis earlier in life maybe I would have a different opinion of this and a different identity. Disability then, to me, isn’t an automatic feature of having a specific health condition if you can still accomplish what you want or need to. At times I feel perhaps that I have been made to feel disabled by environments or processes around me. This is a common theme in literature about disability, that people are disabled by their environment (whether this is physical or in terms of the attitudes of those around them) rather than by the condition or label they are given.
Instead I identify with being an OT (even though I am not currently practising, my current emersion in occupational literature, teaching about OT, communicating with other OTs (via Twitter and Blogs even)and students on placement), a lecturer (through writing and presenting lectures, facilitating group sessions), a writer (through writing, reading about writing, blogging, running an online writing community, thinking about writing), a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter, a friend (through spending time socialising, talking on the phone, visiting, listening to, laughing with etc).
I also look forward to, in future, developing my potential roles and occupations in being a researcher, a girlfriend, a wife, a mother, grandmother etc. Knowing some new mothers I do think that it is likely that my identity in terms of my work and the importance that plays in my life may change (and probably rightly so).
It may be that identity is transient but there are some occupational identities that I think stay with us, like a fellow OT @claireOT said to myself and @GentleChaos on Twitter, “once an OT, always an OT. (like king or queen of Narnia. and order of phoenix, obvs.)”. I think that’s true and that I will always be an occupational therapist and possibly always have been without having a word to call it (it is weird how when a new group of students arrive in the university you can almost always identify them relating to the profession they are enrolled in).
How does this apply to life or practice? For therapists, or people in general, I think at times we can impose an identity on someone based on their condition, e.g. a stroke survivor, a person with a learning disability, a person with depression. But we need to look beyond this to what they have done in the past, what they do now and importantly what they’d like to do. We can do this by simply taking the time to talk to that person and find out. The stroke survivor may have been an astronaut, the person with a learning disability may enjoy acting in a theatre group, the person with depression might be you or me.
Please feel free to leave comments – I have no questions for you today but an activity:
Activity for you to post to your blogs (please link back here or place a link in the comments)
(This activity is taken (with only minor amendments) from Clark et al, 2004, p. 214)
Collect together ten pictures of yourself taking part in occupations (or activities) that best characterise your sense of self. Arrange them in an order that shows us your story (e.g. chapters of your life, different elements such as work, rest and play). Tell us a little about them and in essence your identity. These pictures can be from past and present. You may want to add pictures of occupations you would like to become involved in (though you won’t have pictures of you doing this unless you photoshop them).
(I’ll try and do this too – I’ve not got the pictures ready though)
References
I’ve got to squeeze a word or two in for my iPad which I think has solidified my identity as a gadget geek. I do plan to do a top 10 apps feature (or two or three) after the A-Z challenge has finished.
I hope this post makes sense, I’ve had to do it in a but more of a rush than I’d like because some of my other occupational identities have taken over!!
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H is for… (#atozchallenge)
H is for…
Harry Potter
Who guessed right yesterday? Hats and Hobnail boots indeed Mrs. Donald!
In this post there is one spoiler from Book 6/Film 6 and one from Book 7/Film 7.1 about deaths in the story, if you haven’t seen/read these and don’t want to know you may wish to look away. This post is also a bit random as I try to get across my unadulterated love of Harry Potter. Beware also lots of pics so this may take a while to load (sorry)but hey I’ll have got it all off my chest.
Here is my Goodreads review of the Harry Potter series (which I found with a pic of all the books in a luggage case).
Now sadly I don’t actually have this set but I do have plenty of Harry Potter related goodies so I’ll cope.
I love these books. I only actually got into them just as Book 4 came out. I remember phoning (yes, phoning) The Book People to order the Books 1-3 boxset I had seen in their magazine and the lady on the phone asked me if I wanted to order Book 4 too. I did. I have to say that it did take me a chapter or two to get into the first book (I’m sure I’d read somewhere else to persevere). Not that it was a struggle just that it didn’t immediately capture me, I guess not until the magic started. Once I was in I was hooked. J.K. Rowling has created a world so detailed that I now return to it time and time again. I can’t wait to read all the books and watch all of the films before the final film instalment is released 15th July 2011.
Books 5 and 6 I ordered the Bloomsbury editions from Amazon and got them on day of release (having to restrain myself from hugging the postman who seemed generally happy that everyone was happy to be receiving their post that morning, or afternoon).
For the last book I decided I couldn’t wait until the afternoon and that I wanted to queue outside my local Waterstones to buy the book at midnight. It really added to the atmosphere surrounding the last book and the close of the series, there were two girls who played the theme tune and people dressed up. I got the book home and by 1am I was reading it and I stayed up until I read it (no one was going to spoil it for me – just as I won’t give any spoilers here). I finished the book having cried a few times over at about 12.15. I then had the quickest shower ever because I had my sister’s friends wedding to attend (We’d bought her a copy of HP7 the night before as a wedding gift). I made it, swaying with tiredness, through the service but sadly had to give in on going to the evening do to get some sleep (sorry Stacey).
I have all the audiobooks too (love Stephen Fry) and The Tales of Beadle the Bard. I have the UK Children’s cover editions (which imho are the best). It really annoys me that they changed the title of the Philosopher’s Stone to the Sorcerer’s Stone.
I can’t pick a favourite and I deliberately haven’t done separate reviews as they all meld into one fantastic whole.
I would strongly recommend these, I will be reading to my children (when I have some).
OK now let the random Harry Potter crazy geeky fan ness begin.
Here are the pictures of the launch of book 7 at my local Waterstones (apologies for the quality).
I have been sorted into Gryffindor at least twice (once Realistically ;o))
On J.K Rowling’s website I took the WOMBATs Grades 2 and 3 and got Outstanding in both (I missed Grade 1)
I don’t normally collect stamps but I will when they are Harry Potter related.
I have ‘a few’ items from the Harry Potter Noble Collection. Rather than add photos you can link to the site and I’ll just tell you here. My first purchases were Harry and Hermione’s wands in their Ollivander’s cases and also the Lightning Bolt stands. I was thrilled to get the House Crest Keychain free with my order (and I use this for my keys). I also have The Marauder’s Map in its display case (on which I still haven’t found Dumbledore’s office – I would get hopelessly lost in Hogwarts unless I had this map), The Time Turner in its box, The Phoenix Pendant (I allowed myself this as BAOT my professional body also have the Phoenix rising from the flames in its logo) and the Gryffindor Sword Letter Opener (this has been used a fair bit too). The American Noble Collection is different and I do like Hermione’s necklace but I must stop.
My sister offered to buy me The Monster Book of Monsters secret book with strokeable spine but that’s a kid’s toy so I said no. Just been Googling to find a picture of this and there are some really tacky versions of this available, I can’t remember what this version looked like.
I have all of the DVDs so far including the special Death Eater mask one for Order of the Phoenix and the first part of the Deathly Hallows I believe is coming to my in the BluRay/DVD/Digital edition pack next week. I have a HP poster in my media library (posh word for where the books and DVDs live).
I own nearly all of the HP Wii Games and HP Year 1-4 Lego for the iPad. I haven’t played or finished them all yet.
I am itching to book tickets for 15th July but think it may be a tad early but the date is in my diary (I was so anxious to see one of them on its opening day that we ended up with front row seats and a headache – sadly that meant I had to see it again (I still have all my cinema tickets but then I keep those anyway)).
I actually *ahem* inspired J.K. Rowling’s SPEW with Trolls instead of House Elves and I cried more in Book 7 when Dobby died than I had when Dumbledore died at the end of Book 6. Although you can’t see me in the picture I am young and it was before HP came out. Look even his natty outfit looks like something Dobby would wear.
I have called my car Luna after Luna Lovegood. I only did this because I have no children ;o) and the car is silver so it makes sense.
One year my sister made me this birthday cake because she knew how much I love HP (I got an iPad slab of chocolate last year). Here I am blowing out the candles (ooo teacakes on the plate).
I am SO sad I made a video with sultan the cuddly toy I’ve had since I was one with me dooing the theme tune and then moving in on a Harry Figurine with patronus stag and then saying Expecto Patronum. It works in QuickTime but it won’t let me upload due to security hence the description. The HP figure was a very cool gift I was given (my Michelle I believe – hope I’ve remember that right). Since posting I have found out that it does load to Facebook so if you are a friend on facebook you can find it in my videos. Happy viewing.
I swear that when I woke up from my anaesthetic after having my head stitched together after a car accident that the nurse in the recovery room said I had a scar to rival Harry Potter’s.
I searched my computer for content on HP and found mazes, wallpapers, PP quizzes, printable books, screenshots of things I have seen or done online. Try as hard as I might I could not find the phone video of the girls playing the theme tune on launch night.
I loved the first film and felt the settings in it were perfect for the world. I looked like the characters in the boats when they saw Hogwarts. I hated the Prisoner of Azkaban when I first saw it (though not any more). This was because they changed the set so much it annoyed me and of course Richard Harris wasn’t playing Dumbledore anymore (he was perfect) and I’m afraid I’m not all that keen on Michael Gambon. After watching that film I have learnt to lighten up a bit and go with the changes they’ve made. (Side note: Robert Pattinson is much sexier as Cedric than as Edward in Twilight – Team Jacob). Some of the comedic moments with the students are good. The Burning of the Burrow and chase through the swamps in film 6 really peeved me off though (what was that!). I love the bit in Film 6 though when Harry takes the luck potion and when Professor Slughorn says ‘Harry’ he says ‘Sir’ (I’ve linked to the imdb quote but you have to see/hear it to get why I like it so much).
But as much as I do enjoy the films now I think that in a few years Harry Potter should be made into a TV series a little more faithful to the books and not cutting everything out – we need to see Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party in Chambers. If it’s a series it can be as long as it likes then.
I really really want my next holiday abroad to be to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Orlando Florida (and do the Disney thing again while I’m there). Who’s up for a trip?
So how much do you love Harry Potter?
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G is for…(#atozchallenge)
G is for…
Geek (and Graze and Giving up)
First off I have a confession, I am a huge geek and immensely proud of this (though it has taken me a while to get to the feeling proud part).
You will see more evidence of my geek credentials tomorrow.
So what exactly is a geek. I went to the Oxford English Dictionary to find out the official definition – here’s the full page. The first result was:
“an unfashionable or socially inept person.”
Hmmm, well I wouldn’t exactly call myself fashionable but I’m not completely unfashionable (though have been – think black with neon orange stripe cycling shorts over black tights!!).
Neither would I call myself socially inept. Believe it or not I am pretty shy but I think I’m actually not too bad in social situations. I do like my own company too and often need to spend time alone to ‘recharge’. One of my biggest geeky interests has got to be TV, when I was at uni I much preferred to stay in with a good telly programme or go to the cinema than to go out clubbing (I did do some of that – though I did give up alcohol for a whole term at uni!). It actually got to a point where I felt people were being a little mean about it so eventually I did stand up for myself and asked people to respect my interests. Boy did I write some cathartic poetry during that time too.
So back to the definition which I wasn’t too happy with so I clicked to get the fuller explanation which added:
“[usually with modifier] a knowledgeable and obsessive enthusiast: a computer geek”
Ah, OK this is more like it. Knowledgeable and obsessive (again you’ll see evidence of this tomorrow).
When I get into something, I really get into it. I buy books related to it, Google it, save articles about it from magazines etc. Before I go on let’s look at what else the OED has to say:
“Origin: late 19th century: from the related English dialect word geck ‘fool’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gek ‘mad, silly'”
Mad and silly and fool are words that have never been used to describe me, *ahem*.
“Word trends: Is being a geek something to be proud of? A few decades ago the answer would almost certainly have been no : the word was a cruel and critical label attached to clever, but socially awkward, people: train-spotters, computer geeks, and unpopular college students. Then in the 1990s everything changed. The computer industry helped many geeks to achieve great success, and the wider perception of geeks began to shift. Being a geek was suddenly a positive thing , suggesting an admirable level of knowledge, expertise, and passion: geeks could do ‘cool stuff’. It’s now common for people to be self-proclaimed or self-confessed geeks, with geekiness no longer confined to the world of science and technology (a music geek with an awesome vinyl collection, the kind of film that every true movie geek would give five stars). Nerds have undergone a similar change of image but to a lesser extent, with some negative terms such as boring and pathetic still commonly attached to the word.”
Wow, the OED is basically agreeing with me. I know amongst my group of friends that geek is used as a term of endearment rather than an insult, *right?* And I do do cool stuff (ha, I said do do).
So what am I/have I been geeky about (not a complete list):
The subject of tomorrow’s H post (come on you should be able to guess, I don’t need to give you a hint).
A number of gorgeous male actors
In the past – My Little Pony and Care Bears (I might have bought the movies more recently on DVD – just for the nostalgia)
Buffy, Angel, Charmed, Supernatural,
The X Files – lots of TV shows in general
Films (I used to subscribe to Total Film and still have lots of issues to review and chuck out – I can’t do it)
I have an extensive DVD collection, films sorted alphabetically, TV series by season and genre.
I have lots of books (far less organised though kind of by author and genre)
I have lots of CDs – these are stupidly disorganised but need to be sorted. I cringe when I look at them all messy.
Writing
Occupational Therapy
Gadgets and computer/online stuff – though I am one of those annoying self taught people who doesn’t know as much as people may think I do.
I’m sure I could add more but I’ll stop there.
I was going to add a geeky picture of me doing a Dwayne Dibley impression but I can’t find it and on second thoughts maybe that would hamper my gaining street cred!
Graze
My new geeky fad is grazing, I have been getting little boxes of goodness delivered to me at home and splitting each box into two and taking them to work to nibble across the day rather than have a normal lunch. The idea behind grazing is mainly that this should help by balancing blood sugars through you eating little and often rather than getting the normal office post lunch slump. Also to make your snacks healthier than lots of biscuits and crisps so I have been doing this at the weekends too. Ideally it is meant to help with weight too. Now I can’t say I have noticed any noticeable difference in my weight (but maybe the Chinese Takeaways and Easter Eggs haven’t been helping here). But I have noticed some benefits.
I have been making an effort to have something for breakfast – usually Weetabix or if I don’t have time at home I grab a banana and satsuma. Previously (because I am not in any way, shape or form, a morning person I often skipped breakfast and sometimes due to lack of time or inclination missed lunch too – not good or healthy).
I eat when I’m hungry but just a little bit then wait to see if I’m still hungry before having more, sometimes I even check if I’m thirsty instead.
I have realised that I definitely eat when I’m bored – it has been much harder to be good at home during this week off though having the boxes has helped.
It’s actually cheaper – even full price at £3.49 I split the boxes across two days when previously (because I am too lazy to make lunch) I was buying a Jacket Potato or sandwich or salad and spending that on one day (+).
I do think I’ve had more energy especially in the afternoon.
I have been getting excited by food, I can’t wait to see what’s in my next box (they’ve just released some new options) and I’ve tried some new things (but I have binned all the olives, yuck, and things that are too hot and spicy like wasabi).
I have twice dropped or spilt my graze supplies at work, once because of a poor container it spilled in my handbag so I bought special clipped containers to keep it safe then I knocked the open container onto the floor because of talking with my hands (I have to grossly admit to using the 10 second rule with some of the larger items – not seeds).
Finally with the genius of the send soon option I can now look forward to my favourite apple and cinnamon flapjacks arriving tomorrow. Yum.
If you are interested in trying a box for free (with a half price second box) please use the link below (I get a £1 off or a £1 to give to charity – so far I’ve given more to the charity). Some hints are make sure you go and rate the foods, bin anything you don’t like or are allergic too. If there are any you really fancy trying that have a send soon box tick them. http://www.graze.com/p/NL731DW
Giving up (temporarily)
OK, I’ll admit it I had a temporary geeky bout of ‘I’m going to do lots of writing insanity’ caused by attendance at the Southern Script Writing Festival and a week of work but it has got to Friday of my week off and I’ve wanted to do (and have mostly done that) nothing but sleep and veg in front of the TV. I am really enjoying the Blogging from A-Z Challenge so going to keep going with that. I’m a paid up member of the Whittaker Fiction and Poetry competition so I’m going to keep up with that as best as I can. But I’ve written nothing for ScriptFrenzy so I’m giving up. Let me reassure you this is temporary. I’m not giving up on the Script itself, I just can’t do it this April. I need to admit to myself that I’m just not yet geeky enough about Scriptwriting, I don’t have enough knowledge to get stuck into writing one in this short a space of time. Instead I will use any spare time this month to read up around this, learn to use my Scrivener software and preparing for May you write your novel by re-reading my 50,000 NaNo words and outlining what I need to add.
Just one question today
What brings out your inner geek?
kirstyes 