The Writing and Photography Blog of Kevin J Sabo

It is the beginning of December. How the hell did that happen?

The last few months have flown by. Unfortunately, with the tempo of work lately, my photography has had to take a back seat to life.

Still, I’m not going to complain. I can honestly say that I love where life has brought me. I do have some trepidation though, what with the job cuts that have been occurring across the Canadian media landscape. A few months ago a large number of newspapers in Ontario shut down, and just today the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced that it will be cutting 10 per cent of its workforce, totalling around 600 jobs lost.

Fortunately, the organization I work for, while facing the budget pinches others are, seems to be going in the other direction investing in technology and equipment for the long term. While I know that cuts can happen at any time, particularly in this day and age, I also have enough faith in myself and in God that whatever happens He will carry me through.

The great Van Wilder, a National Lampoon’s character portrayed by Ryan Reynolds early in his career, once said something along the lines of “Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Write that down.”

I can’t worry about what-if, what-if, what-if? If that was all I did, I would be paralyzed in fear, and to be quite frank, I spent enough of my life living that way. The best thing I can do is focus on my job, do it well and keep expanding and improving my skills. Everything else will sort itself out in the wash.

Provided the weather behaves itself, I’m hoping I will have some time to take off into the backcountry this weekend and go see what I can find for wildlife. It has been too damn long. I haven’t been out since I photographed that moose at the beginning of October.

Despite not shooting, I have been keeping myself busy otherwise. I’m still working on teaching myself Adobe Illustrator. I’ve also started doing some random drawing using my iPad, just to get the creative juices flowing. While I haven’t done anything I am willing to share yet, I’m hoping to in the new year.

Something else I have been doing more of is reading. I recently finished James Clear’s tome Atomic Habits, on learning how to change and build new habits in everyday life. Following that, I read The Power of Discipline: How to Use Self-Control and Mental Toughness to Achieve Your Goals, written by Daniel Walter.

The thing I am finding ironic, and that is literary ironic to do with expanded awareness instead of humourous irony, is that I have read these two books while I am finishing off my Psychology course. Some of the terms, theories, and even theoreticians’ names are name-dropped in both of these books. The fact that I understand who and what the authors are talking about is allowing me to get even more out of the books than I otherwise would have.

Having finished those two, I have started reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey.

Of course, I’ve been doing all this reading and other learning fitting it in between work and finishing off my current university course. After the latest extension, it is currently due for the end of January. I am done with all the modules, so right now I am focusing on studying, working on passing the quizzes and finishing off the last assignment. My goal is to write the final exam in the third week of January. After that, we will see what happens.

Health-wise, I’ve started rehabbing both my shoulders. With the weight of my camera gear, my good (left) shoulder has started giving me grief and my doc sent me for physiotherapy. Working with the physiotherapist, I have started back into a workout routine. I’ve changed the way I’m looking at the routine though.

Previously, I would push myself to do something every day, cardio one day and weights the other, seven days a week. This time around I just pushing myself to do a mixed cardio/weight routine three days a week. So far it has been going well. Nursing the injuries, I have backed the weight right off, but my shoulders seem to be tolerating what I am doing.

My routine is a 20-minute high-intensity warmup on the treadmill followed by a 35-minute weight routine and a 10-minute cooldown and stretching. I check back in with physio next week and see what next steps are.

Another change I have made is meditation. I went to in-person meditation sessions a few years back, and I’ve fallen off the habit. I’ve decided to get myself back into it three or four days a week, just following along with YouTube videos.

I have got to say, that between the new workout regime, the meditation, and just life in general, I am feeling good.

I plan to make a concerted return to my photography once the new year rolls around. Thanks, everyone, for sticking around.

Kevin