Far From the Start

I’m calling this first entry Far From the Start to indicate that although this marks the beginning of a new mediation focused blog, it does not mean I am just now starting out as a mediator. I completed the certificate program in ADR at York University over five years ago, and have since being volunteering in Scarborough, Ontario in community mediation and more recently with the Justice Committee pilot program for Victim-Offender Mediation. I have also opened a private practice of my own, Glanville Mediation Services, and feel now is an opportune time to share my reflections on this ongoing and ever changing journey of what it means be a mediator.

First, a brief (and superficial, for now) self-description. In my youth I dreamed of being a writer, and spent many years wandering the proverbial desert, searching for material and enjoying a wide range of adventures across Canada, in Europe, Mexico, West Africa and much later Japan. What I discovered was that although I have a vivid imagination and a love of the extraordinary, I lacked both the discipline and talent to write, and so settled on teaching English instead. This has served me well, as it’s given me considerable freedom and independence, and I have always enjoyed the close personal interaction teaching demands.

Outwardly I’ve settled down to a comfortable middle class life in the suburbs with two teenage sons and a mortgage, but my inner self still cries out for something more. Technology (long live Apple!) has provided some satisfaction through desktop publishing and now podcasting (unleashing a secret persona!), but beyond that there is a growing desire to contribute more to help this troubled world we live in. I sincerely believe that serving my community as a mediator is the purpose and rationale of my life’s journey thus far. Yes, Mediation is indeed my calling.

Next topic: what does it take to be a mediator?