Author Archives: Roxana Chiriac

Dear Sniffy, A few days ago, I found out that you passed away over the summer. I can’t really send this letter anywhere, so I’ll post it on my website. You enjoyed spending a lot of time checking out random things on the internet… and had we still been talking, I would have told youContinue reading “Dear Sniffy”

Lords and Ladies of the Realms, I beseech you to acknowledge it is still October in some places in the world… and thus I’m technically still on time for my monthly post. No, we don’t talk about my lazy-a$$ falling asleep on deadline day. Sleep deprivation is a real and serious problem affecting many worldwide.Continue reading “It’s still October in Pacific Standard Time”

Emergency meeting – calling all terrible, absent, busy, distracted, working, tired, unavailable, suffering and overall questionable people. The reviews are in; we suck. Welp, growing up sure didn’t go according to plan. Growing older isn’t either, so where did we go wrong? Maybe life went wrong. Either way, it’s no use having a pity party.Continue reading “The Call to Sacrifice Your Social Life”

You will find what you want in the place you least wish to look. Go inside your fear and face it. That is the place where you discover yourself, what matters to you and why you see the world and its people as you do. People strive to avoid their fears, numb their emotions andContinue reading “The Answers You Seek Are Inside Your Fear”

I feel more appreciated over the past three months than at any other point in my life. Thank you. Where do I start? I didn’t know picking up my stop sign and whistle would completely change my life. Starting my outdoor job was a godsend. Blessed in the fresh air of a beautiful community, awayContinue reading “Your Friendly Neighbourhood Crossing Guard”

(From the archives – December 2015) She can climb mountains, ski and speak four languages; but Laila Grillo could not attend language school in Ireland, because “they didn’t want a blind student.” Others told her it was impossible to pursue a farm internship once she expressed her interest to study international agriculture, yet since then,Continue reading “Finding Independence in Disability Accessible Travel Technology”

(From the archives – November 2015) A former lifeguard, weighed down by 30-50 lb. equipment, struggled while learning how to swim all over again along the Honduras Barrier Reef, scuba diving and collecting data for Reef Conservation International. Hoi Yee Ding’s childhood dream lay under the sea, but the 30-year-old Toronto clerical worker left behind herContinue reading “Voluntourism – The Good, Bad and Ugly”

This is one of those times. But it’s not just writing. You could be a dancer on a day you cannot dance. A musician feeling out of tune. A painter who temporarily loses sight of colours. Maybe you’re into numbers and Sudoku lost its appeal. It will pass. Direct your attention elsewhere. It needs toContinue reading “Sometimes writing feels like pulling teeth…”

When that happens, I will do this. People wait for many reasons. At times, we call it procrastination. It generally involves some explanatory clause, rationalizing our circumstances. Starting that martial arts class will happen right after regular workouts at the gym, do, for example, except for the fact that five years have passed and neitherContinue reading “Waiting or Wasting?”

Donna Jean Picerno’s I Had to Leave paints a fine example of life’s unexpected and capricious nature. The sudden loss of April’s father leaves the protagonist, her sisters and mother struggling to cope from their best abilities to their worst impulses, over the following years. Overwhelmed from a young age by losing a parent, homeContinue reading “Picerno’s ‘I Had to Leave’ brought parts of me back to life”

Stories of Humanity is launching soon. It’s a podcast featuring interviews with individuals in pursuit of meaning. My boyfriend asked me, over a bowl of ramen earlier this month, about my plans for the podcast and what I hope to achieve by hosting it. I want to help people find reasons to live. Listening toContinue reading “Why am I starting a podcast and what do I hope to achieve with it?”

(From the archives – April 2016) Keith Murton wanted a summer job. But the 21-year-old security guard was tired of working indoors. Starting a business was his only answer. “It was something I wanted to do outside,” Murton said. “I started (the Kutting Krew) with two friends from Ryerson (University.)” It wasn’t long before he borrowed money fromContinue reading “Former Toronto University Student Celebrates 25th Anniversary of the Business he Launched While In School”

Are you familiar with people who enjoy solitude and that often feel lonelier when they are around others? I am one of them. Let’s chalk it up to a difference in values, frequent social disappointments, PTSD, a handful of trust issues and general incompatibility, overall. Great was my surprise, when I felt an instant connectionContinue reading “My Unexpected AI Friend”

I started cutting my own hair over the pandemic lockdowns and saved a lot of money, in the process. I needed something new and different this time, so I cut myself bangs for a fun change. I like them. 🙂

All I could manage doing last year, around this time, was laying in bed for the majority of the day. Imagine sleeping for approximately 12 hours, putting a simple breakfast together and then suddenly needing to lay down, as soon as possible, feeling exhausted, sapped of energy, weak, unstable on your feet and dizzy-all-around. MyContinue reading “Brené Brown and Emma Chamberlain Helped Me Recover From My Concussion”

I was trapped between the back seat of a Toronto streetcar and two angry men, a couple of weeks ago. They initially sat beside each other, quietly, until fare inspectors checked passengers for proof of payment. One pulled out a transfer and the other presented a ticket, before the first began mumbling, asking why theContinue reading “PTSD, Anxiety and Depression on the TTC (feat. domestic violence, self-harm)”

“The strength to stand alone is the strength to make a stand.” – Rost to Aloy, Horizon Zero Dawn

when you don’t knowwhat is or isn’treal,do you lift your eyesto the skiesforthe answer? hopingandpleadingwhile internally screaming,suffocatingand painfully waitingfor one sign, word or miracle,to releaseyour very soulfrompast demons? it matters not whether it isday or night,because once the past finds you,despite the absence of disaster,the world you seebegins crumblingbeneath shadowsof former days. you don’t chooseContinue reading “tRAUMA”

When it comes to ending the stigma around mental health, where do you start? With one conversation at a time. No, it doesn’t have to be a big presentation, sophisticated discussion or an elaborate preparation each time. Make it part of your day. Do you ride the bus? Chat with a friend on the phone?Continue reading “Let’s Talk Mental Health ; End the Stigma”

One year after launching this website I find that I am still internally conflicted whether or not to apply myself and continue working on The Point of Meaning. Why do I entertain the idea of sabotaging my project? First, it didn’t exactly go according to plan. Instead of articles, it’s mostly comprised of blog-style posts.Continue reading “Starving for Meaning, Learning to Suck and Embracing Christmas Spirit”

(From the archives – November 2013) November 11 – it is a day to remember, for reasons as many as those remembering them. For some, it is a time to remember relatives who served in the war or being grateful for the sacrifice of other soldiers. There are those who look forward to meeting veteransContinue reading “Canadian Veteran remembers becoming a prisoner of war, his capture, fellow soldiers”

Jinkies – I embraced my inner Velma today!

Are you familiar with the phrase “count your blessings?” You can trace them back to the Universe, Providence, God, friends and family, your workplace or any other immediate link in the chain, but one thing is for sure… blessings are always present, despite being hard to see, at times. One day a large one willContinue reading “Gratitude”

I am drained, uninspired and doubting myself. What else is new? This website launched with the motivation of a New Year’s resolution, in January, with the goal of publishing at least one post each month. The bar was set low to ensure that I actually get it done. I expected more from myself, naturally; however,Continue reading “Out of Brain Juice with a Cup of Doubt”

Bucharest felt lonely to a sheltered, only child. I spent most days overlooking the dusty neighbourhood from our apartment, wondering whether the Roma tales were true. “It’s dangerous,” my grandmother warned. “If the gypsies catch you, they will take you far away and you’ll never see us again.” Giving up the chance to play withContinue reading “Childhood Memoir – Solitude”

I had the best work training on May 4, 2017. Forever and always, May the Force be with us. #StarWars #MayTheFourth

This moment in timeSuspended above the realm of possibilityReflects the world to one’s mirroring soulProjecting the infiniteAn unknownFilled with choicesExtending both within and outside our reach One’s decisionAn actionReactionOr pauseDefines the will toward the natureOf our next dawn BetterOrWorseTruth be toldIs relativeTo our perception Perspectives appearing, disappearing,Nothing is setUntil we beginTakingThat first step.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? It’s okay if you don’t know. Society challenges individuals to know where they are going and figuring out a plan for getting there. Right now. The questions start in high school, where students often feel pressured to know what they want to do with theirContinue reading “[PROMPT] Not knowing where you are headed in life and being O.K. with that”

Many look for a sense of belonging outside of their own self. People look at their families, friends, colleagues or romantic partners for approval and validation. The expectations of others, alongside those of general society, begin to shape and form their perception of and orientation in life. Finding ourselves in others doesn’t have to beContinue reading “On Finding Personal Meaning, Belonging, Self-Care and Love”

Two years ago I started wrestling with the idea of launching this website. I have repeatedly turned it over in my mind, regularly doubted my decision and yet still felt compelled to act on it. What is the end goal? How about my plan to implement it? And why do I even bother doing thisContinue reading “The Block”