KATE (KATHY) DISKIN (TICEHURST)

KATE (KATHY) DISKIN (TICEHURST)

Iím sorry I didnít hear about the reunion till it was too late to attend. (I ran into Suzanne Searle in the Okotoks Safeway ñ yes Iím an Albertan too). I make fairly frequent trips to Winnipeg to see family and would have enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect. My father died about 17 years ago and my mother lives with my sister and her husband in Tuxedo.
After Kelvin I worked for a year for the Winnipeg Public Library to make some tuition money. I studied South Asian history and political science until running out of funds. I did office work for various firms before becoming business manager for the University of Winnipeg Studentís Union, where I met Steven Diskin, who was doing a degree in philosophy and religious studies. We met in September of 1976 and were married in December of the same year. Twenty-six years later we are still together, although as a parent I realize now what a struggle it must have been for our respective families to accept our precipitous act.

We moved to Alberta and spent a year working for a mining company in the Crowís Nest pass ñ Steve in the mine and me in the office, then headed off to the University of Calgary where I finally completed my degree and Steve got an Education degree. I finished my last course with our first child, Matthew, in a car seat beside me. We moved to an acreage outside of Calgary where our second child, Allison was born. I spent about 16 years as a stay home, volunteering, tennis playing mom. Our children both attended Strathcona Tweedsmuir School, which is about a 10-minute drive from our place. Steve taught school for several years and then took over a family investment business.

When Matt was old enough to drive himself and his sister to school, I got the opportunity to consider what I might want to do with my life. A look at my bookshelves helped me make the decision to take one or two psychology courses. After an Honours Psychology degree, Masters in Medical Science (Psychiatric Disorders) and acceptance in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Calgary, I am getting closer to my doctorate. My research interests are in theoretical issues around pathological gambling as well as brief treatment interventions for gambling problems, although I intend to practice more generally with adults when Iím finally done. The opportunities to learn and grow have helped me to feel challenged and enthusiastic, although I must confess that people of our age should not consider pulling all nighters ñ it just doesnít work.

We are a fairly busy family. Steve manages a small private hedge fund, Matt (23) is returning to his third year of Law at Queenís, where he will also be editor in chief of the Law Journal, and Alli (21) is finishing her Honours Biology degree at Guelph, and plans to continue with postgraduate work in Wildlife Conservation (perhaps in New Zealand). I work away at my dissertation research and clinical practica. We have just returned from a brief visit to Toronto, where we were able to spend time with both our children and their partners. We are still on our acreage, and although it means a great deal of commuting we both enjoy the privacy and tranquillity it affords, although the snow ploughing can get a little wearing. We enjoy spending time together whenever we can, particularly at the acreage and at Steveís parentís home on the Flathead Lake in Montana.

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