2018 Reflections

Good Day Everybody,

I just want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope next year brings you a lot of joy!! It's been a good year for me, and I've been reflecting on it! I got on the Calgary Transit Access Appeal Board. Both of my films made it to the "Picture This" Film Festival held in April. I created an app with the help of some really smart engineering and design students at the UofC. The whole process took about seven months and was made possible by TOM (Tikkun Olam Makers). I even did an interview for Universal Access!

I tried skiing and absolutely fell in love!! I'm going to get back at it in the beginning of 2019! Trying new things is so good for my soul. I want to keep pushing my comfort zone and having new adventures, it's the only way to keep living and growing. Would you expect anything different from me? I also tried sailing this year and discovered that it's not quite my cup of tea... it's a little boring, so I won't be returning to that activity. I want to do something WILD next year... if you have any ideas please let me know!! 

Something I learned this year is that I need to be more forward with my thoughts, ideas, and opinions. This is true in my relationships as well as my professional life. I'm sure 2019 will give me plenty of opportunities to do so. One of my ideas is to turn my book into a play and have one of my friends be a part of that process. I don't know what that will look like, but that's part of the fun. 

2018 Whoo hoo!!

I can't believe it's already February!! I am doing nothing at all!! I have to make a list of what I want to get done in the new year... I have been skiing every Sunday night! I sit in a sled-like bucket while someone ski's behind me, we're attached by two ropes. It's so much fun! I do jumps sometimes but I miscalculated it a bit last time and rolled over my head and landed on my side, lol.It feels like I am free for a couple of hours. I thought I would hate it because I hate cold weather, I have three more weeks of it and then it's over... But I'm hoping I get to go on a ski trip next month! It's a family day Canada Olympic Parc so I invited my friends, and sisters and their families to come see how I do it. I hope I can go back next year and try to ski on my own with poles. 

My Friday evenings are spent at the UofC where a team is working at building a speech assistance app for me. It's part of a program where designers and engineers collaborate with individuals with disabilities to improve their qualitiy of life. When I go out, people often have a hard time understanding me when I speak.... it sounds like I'm drunk, haha! I want to go back next year, I have been brainstorming new ideas for them. 

Wednesday's I'm working on a course offered through the library about how to make money off of writing. It's a good course and I like it! I was talking to a friend of mine on the weekend and she was telling a lady about me and what I'm up to. This young lady is doing a course at Bow Valley about disabilities so she gave her my name and all my information. I don't know for sure what this may lead to but I'm hoping to try some public speaking, a classroom would be a great place to start. 

I am waiting to hear back from the disability film fest... It's coming up in March so I'm assuming I didn't make it. But that's alright! I still want to go check it out and watch the other films. 

Last year I was a part of IDPD (International Day of Persons with Disabilities). I had a table set up with my writing and business cards and it was a blast! I would love to do more events like this in 2018. I want to widen my horizons and do more with my life. 

I have a lot of goals and I keep myself busy, I HAVE a disability but that's not WHO I am.


 I am Shawna Mattinson.