Ottawa Living: Day 156- "Finding Stability in Instability"

Hello Canada,

For family and friends, and all those who are interested, here is another update on life in Ottawa.

Stability has come

Koliah and I have entered our most stable time yet in Ottawa. Last week I received my first pay cheque as an intern, a lump sum payment, that really put us over the top financially. We instantly went from making "just enough" (and sometimes "not enough") to "more than enough". When we left Toronto we were in a pretty good place financially; at least we were up to date with our bills. Seeing that Koliah and I didn't have income for two months after moving we fell behind, but with my first pay cheque we were able to get completely caught up. We actually had enough money left over that we were able to afford the InStyler so my wife can do her hair; she hadn't been able to straighten her hair consistently since her flat iron broke in the middle of last year. We were also able to go out for dinner at Coaster's in Byward Market, and even buy a DVD. It's so rewarding to feel normal again and not underprivileged; like you have choices in life. When you don't have money you want everything you see, but when the money comes you actually realize you didn't really want the things, you just wanted the ability to choose. You wanted the ability to decide not to get something because it wasn't necessary, not because you're limited.

When you're used to not having money it's hard to spend large sums of money on yourself; you feel guilty. When I mentioned to my wife that we should by the InStyler so she could do her hair, I could sense some guilt in her heart at spending so much because we were so used to being limited. I told her that earlier that day I felt God challenging me. We always talk about the people we see ourselves becoming in the future; our ideal self. The way we will dress, the careers we'll have, and our overall image. God was speaking to my heart that if we never take the baby steps towards the people we see ourselves becoming it will never happen. That may mean buying one piece at a time. It's torture looking in the mirror everyday and not being pleased with what you see, especially as a woman.  It's torture knowing you have so much more potential in life and not making any steps towards it.

So I told my wife to not see this as simply spending money but as an investment in herself because she was worth it and it's important to take small steps closer to the woman she envisions herself to be.


Downtown Living

For the month of February Koliah and I will be living in downtown Ottawa. In all my years in Toronto I never lived downtown so this is a completely new experience.

We just finished our first week in the city and it's quite different.  I actually like the suburbs and being close to the country.  But I love being able to walk to work on the Hill, walk to church, and walk to shop. This is what city planners are starting to go back to in planning regions; pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods where people are able to walk or ride for work and play.  With an increased health and environmental consciousness, commuting is going out of style.  Having Sparks Street and the Rideau Centre seemingly at my front door has been a treat. Living downtown is especially good during Winterlude; a time to enjoy the outdoor festivities and dining the city has to offer.

Favour with Kings

This past week Minister Jason Kenney hosted a Black History reception in West Block on the Hill. It was a great experience. I never knew how integral black people were in the history of our country. William Hall and Harriett Tubman were just a few of the people we learned about. Minister Kenney even announced that for the first time Black History will be included in the Canadian Citizenship Manual. Imagine new Canadian learning about the contributions that Black people (I hate this classification by the way) have made. How’s that for breaking down barriers?

As we sat down in the auditorium my wife detected a Barbadian accent somewhere in our row. She turned to the man next to her and asked if he was Barbadian. He replied no, and that he was from the Bahamas. He then pointed out that the man next to him was Barbadian and that was the accent she was hearing. We ended up talking to the two men who ended up being the High Commissioners of the Bahamas and Barbados; sitting right next to us. The High Commissioner took particular interest in us because we’re of Barbadian descent.  We were able to relate to him on so many different levels; he reminded me of my uncle.  

For months my wife and I used to drive down Rockcliffe Parkway to work passing this house with Barbadian flags and blue and yellow Christmas lights. We used to ask ourselves, “I wonder who lives in that house?” As we communicated that to the High Commissioner he replied, “Yup, that’s my house. Did you see the yellow and blue lights?”

The High Commissioner invited us to come and visit the High Commission, get our names on the registry of Barbadians in Ottawa, and said that if he’s in the office when we come he’ll sit down with us. What a privilege? If that wasn’t enough, the High Commission is located at 55 Metcalfe Avenue! You’ll have to read previous entries to see why that’s meaningful.

My wife tends to bring me into favourable situations by her sociable, bold and sometimes inquisitive nature. I can say that if my wife weren't with me on a lot of occasions I would've missed out on a lot of opportunities in life.

The Church I dreamed of

One of the greatest sources of fulfillment is our Church experience. Our home church, Peace Tower Church, has been an absolute blessing to us. In previous entries I’ve written about how they’ve blessed us, but they’ve completely outdone themselves.

When we had to move by February 1st we had no money or manpower to move our stuff. They not only covered the tab for the move but brought over five men to help us move our stuff.

Right now we’re still going through our Journey to Belong process where we’re being given an orientation on the church. While no church is perfect, this church community is almost everything my wife and I were saying we wanted to see in the church. The pastors are approachable and accessible, it’s a family environment, and they support and coverpeople in establishing their own ministries and exercising their gifts. In a nutshell, it’s conducive for emotional and spiritual growth.

In about a month’s time Koliah and I will be launching our ministry. Keep your eyes open!  I'm so thankful for supportive and loving leaders; true fathers in the Church. We’ll keep you posted!

Conclusion

Koliah and I don't know what next month holds, but I'm learning daily how to live for today, while having vision for tomorrow.  Living for today and not worrying about what tomorrow holds has brought such a peace.  I'm not an expert at it yet; I sometimes slip into striving for the future.  My faith tells me that March will be a turning point for Koliah and I.  My internship ends on February 28th, my orientation classes at church end on February 24th, we have to move again before February 28th, and our baby shower in Toronto is on February 27th.  Koliah and I always seem to visit Toronto at an important checkpoint in our lives.  All of this tells me that a time of training is coming to an end and a new and larger space is opening up for us.  I'll keep you posted.

Kevin
Entrepreneur. Minister. Administrator.

www.businesschurchpolitics.ca