"Live your dreams
It's not as hard as it may seem
You gotta work to get the cream
On your hopes you must lean
From your fears
You have to wean yourself
It's all or nothing,
Give your everything."
- All or Nothing (Live Your Dreams) - Athena Cage
This song is mostly known for its appearance in the movie "Save the Last Dance" but I kindly ask all of you to temporarily put aside those images of Julia Stiles dancing triumphantly around a chair and picture one of my favourite people in the world - Miss Catherine Veitch.
Yup - this one's for you Fringe!
This song came to mind right away when I thought about which song to pick for Cat's post. It really represents the inspiring way in which I witness her conducting her life. I know when she reads this she is going to go all humble and do that whole "pfft, you don't know the half of it" look she gives, but seriously, we could all learn a lot from this woman - I know I did.
You see, like this song encourages, Cat truly believes in living your dreams. And she tends to give her everything in all that she does. The evidence of this goes back before I even met her. When she was just a teenager she decided to move to the big city and rent an apartment on her own in order to go to a performing arts high school to pursue her dream in music theatre.
(And ask anyone who has heard her perform! Wheewee! That girl can sing!) That giant leap alone shows you that even from a young age she knew not to let anything get in the way of her hopes and dreams.
Another example of her inspirational tendencies is when she decided to finish university after her third year, instead of doing an Honours degree, which is what everyone around her was doing. I, myself, did the Honours degree because it just seemed like the right thing to do because everyone else was doing it. I am probably not going to need that extra university year for any reason in the future. But I didn't realize that at the time, I was kind of just going with the flow ya know? Well, Cat here, she isn't a go-with-the-flow kinda gal. She is more like a make-your-own-way kinda woman. I truly admire her for that. So she graduated university with a general degree and went back to the big city to pursue her newly-found dream to become a make-up artist.
And now she is a make-up artist.
(You can see her work in an online magazine called
"Off The Map" as well as on
her website!
These are just two insights into the life of Cat Veitch that allude to her vital need to be where she wants to be. She reminds me of a quotation that one of my favourite professors said once (actually I might have already mentioned this saying in an earlier post) "Wherever you are, you should know why you're there." Cat lives and breathes this mantra. It is one philosophy that - if you haven't noticed yet - I like to talk about a lot but find difficult to portray in my everyday life. It is at those times of difficulty that I wish that I had Cat's (for lake of a better word) balls.
Just like the song insists, Cat is constantly learning to wean herself off her fears. She has a way of transforming her fears into strength. Kind of like that part in Harry Potter where they learn how to turn their worst fears into something they can laugh at... well actually not really like that, but I think Cat would like that reference haha. Okay, so it's like she knows herself well enough that she is aware of her capabilities, therefore getting over fears is just another challenge that she is willing to accept. (Challenge Accepted! haha)
The most recent fearless life act that Fringe completed without a glitch was her two week trip to Europe last month. It doesn't sound as life-altering as the others that I have mentioned, but it really did mean a lot; not only to her, but to me as well. To my great pleasure, part of her trip was to visit me in Edinburgh and we shared some great times, including fabulous talks. I am so happy she decided to come see me.
Cat has always loved the idea of living in the UK, more specifically, London, and to me, I think this recent trip was a little test drive. I saw it as her dipping her toes in the water before deciding to jump in. And I know she'll jump in someday soon. History has shown that if Cat wants to do, Cat will find a way. In this sense, I think this trip really was life-changing. Because she was able to witness first-hand what life would be like in London. And my guess is that that was just the little dosh of excitement she needed to make her wanting more.
This verse of the song really defines the kind of person I see in Cat,
"You are what you believe
You got to bring the heat
Set the pace, competition take the lead
This is it, all eyes on you
So stay on point and prove
That you deserve what's long overdue"
With such strong conviction invested in her hopes and dreams it is evident that Cat possesses a kind of confidence in herself needed in order to believe that everything will work out fine. She is who she believes she is because she can do what she believes she can do, and vice-versa. This entire verse speaks to the kind of confidence needed in order to live your dreams. And I tell ya, Cat has just the right amount of that to keep her going. As an aspiring music theatre star, she doesn't mind when all eyes are on her. And although she would never admit it now, I think that when she finally does became some hot shot in whatever career she ends up in, she will take the lead in the competition and take pride in proving to all of us just how much she deserves to be in that spotlight. There is no way that this girl could ever
not deserve success because when she sets her heart out to do something she works her butt off to make sure she deserves it. All who know her would wholeheartedly agree that she deserves exactly what she wants. Fighting for what she deserves doesn't just apply to life choices and accomplishing dreams. She gives it her all in every goal she sets herself to achieve. Whether it be as important as getting involved in something she feels strongly about or as trivial as baking a batch of cupcakes (see, we know you tried!). But all joking aside, her devotedness also applies for being a respectable person and an unbelievable friend. Cat's the kind of friend who listens and doesn't judge. She is the kind of friend who will lend you a helping hand in anyway she can. Cat would never, ever tell you a lie because she believes in honesty. I respect that so much! Just like she fights for what she wants in life, she will fight for her friends.
Cat, I know you already knows this, but it's the last verse of the song and it would be a shame to leave it out.
"You know you gotta live your dreams
So don't you be afraid
Just set the pace, and take the lead
It's your time to shine"
No matter where you find yourself next year or ten or twenty years from now, you can look back and know that each and every decision you have made and every direction you have set out on in your life has and always will be a glimpse of you living your dreams. Just keep on livin' them baby! It's
always your time to shine!
It's this same kind of feeling of being old but new at the same time. The Wolfe Island lifestyle feels old because it's a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone's business and no one is too busy to lend a helping hand. But it also brings me a feeling of youth because when I am home I am the farmer's daughter, just another kid from that large, farming, Dutch family up the road. I love the idea that on those country roads I have a clear sense of who I am as who everyone knows me to be. It's easy to lose that sense of self when you're off living in a new place surrounded by new people.
