Who is Darleen?

I am first a daughter  and born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while my father was in the Navy. I am part of the founding families of Kitchener Waterloo – with a mennonite background on my father’s side. My mother is from Priceville, Ontario and part Scottish and Irish. My parents met when my mother was a maid at Castle Kilbride in Baden, Ontario. You can imagine they have many stories to tell.

We returned to Kitchener, Ontario when I was 3 years old, and I was then raised and schooled here. I have lived as far away as Brantford, Brampton and Cambridge – which I always considered part of Kitchener. So I have not lived very far from what I always considered home.

I am also a sister to 2 sisters and 1 brother, as well as I have been a wife (several times), mother to 3 daughters and now also a grandmother to 1 granddaughter and 1 grandson!

My working life has spanned across several professions you might say – from HiWay Market Snack Bar, K-Mart clerk, Paint Manufacturer Paint Lab, Medical Laboratory Technologist to Computer Support, Technical Support and IT Infrastructure Management and Manager Customer Services! Whew ….

There is more – motorcyclist, reader, writer, crafter, …

I have many stories..

Happiness is … the moments you capture.

Make sure that you are watching!

We all want to be happy. At least I suspect most of do, and many feel that we should be happier than we are most of the time.

How can we achieve this happiness? I will share in this spot some of my findings and hope you will join in.

I attended the #140ConfONT last week 

I am still recovering.

Not sure if it is from withdrawal and needing more of what we experienced that day. OR … if is like a hangover… OR is it due to hearing the TRUTH. This was not Reality TV, but real life events. There were tears and laughter, and lots of hugs.

Many others have already posted their thoughts and expressions about the day and #140Conf itself – such as Jenni Lee Black, wrote What people think. Jenni said much of what I had been thinking most of the day, and more – as I am older than the majority of attendees. So I allowed that to creep into my  thoughts as well …. Meeting In Real Life (IRL) is scary fro some of us!

Before Jenni’s post there was one from @fleur_de_lotus - Stéphanie Montreuil, and her post: Everybody Hurts… sometimes. The topic of why do we not ask for help or speak the truth in public. Many have taken their lives recently – why? How can we stop this, as now more than ever before we are connected and can easily reach out. We still however to not speak the real truth or present our real selves completely. 

At #140ConfONT there were many that did speak the truth? Or at least more than we are used to hearing – about struggles, and feelings of not being good enough mom, or just how many received help from  Twitter and other Social Media groups.

I was inspired on so many ways, and could relate to so many more – such as with @mombizcoach Lara Galloway is who I was able to shake my head with yes, yes – finally a mother that says the truth! I felt very similar when raising my girls – who are now grown and I have grandchildren. Loss of self. YES!  I connected with Lara at the after party, for a few moments – Thanks Lara!

We were overloaded with emotions and then uplifted with laughter – @cocktaildeeva – Dee Brun, @unmarketing – Scott Stratten and the best ending ever - @kitestring- Chris Farias & team!  I have watched this skit now 6 times

I particularly enjoyed the laughter, but was overcome with how people have found support and help from their connections on Twitter more than any other way. Strangers helping strangers, and in so doing becoming IRL friends!

And yet ... I still am unsure if we each really want to know the truth about each other. There are some truths that maybe should not be spoken online or may haunt us forever. BUT … we should be able to ask for help online. Much the way that @KarmicEvolution – Jodi spoke about how it would be nice to have pillows. She received pillows, but so much more as well.

Maybe … this is how we share our truth. Not by blasting the facts of depression, or fear, or talk about our demons … but an opening to our online friends to reach out to us as a IRL friend.

It is scary to share our true selves … but I am going to try more. 

Part of my truth can be found at: Sometimes You Just Gotta Dance!

…darleen