MY CREDO
by David Ouimette
May 4, 2003
Good morning, my name is David Ouimette. I have been coming to All Souls since I was twelve years old and I have a confession to make. I thought that writing a credo statement would be a piece of cake. However, as it got closer to the time when the credos were to be spoken, I realized how difficult it would be to write one and also how serious it is. I realized that not only is my credo statement more than an obligatory speech, it's my own personal doctrine about what I believe and what my life lessons have taught me.
Well, unlike most kids, I was born two months premature. I weighed 3 1/2 pounds and needed major surgery the day I was born. My parents told me that they were always confident that I would survive this ordeal, and because I looked so tough and strong, my grandparents dubbed me the "Mighty David." Finally, after 60 days in the intensive care unit, I finally came home. Throughout my childhood I would get sick a lot and I spent many days and months in the hospital. Also, I suffered many losses. By far the greatest loss was my mother's death from cancer when I was ten. This was really hard for me to deal with. It took a lot of mourning for me to come to terms with it. From these setbacks, I learned many lessons. First I learned to persevere. When obstacles are coming towards you, you must take a deep breath, stare right at them and be tough. Second I learned to be patient. It took a long time for me to get my health stable and I had to learn to be tolerant of many things. To this day I realize that some things in life take time and you have to be patient and also be patient with friends and family. Third, I learned love and support. For my whole life of ups and downs and trials and tribulations, love and support were and are always around me. From my mother, my dad, my brother Michael, my nanny Leona, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles and cousins and other close friends I have gotten love and support and learned to give it back.
However, knowing those things about me doesn't mean you know who I am and what I believe in. First I would like to tell you that I am a family man. I always want to be there for my family, and they are always in my thoughts because they have always been there for me. I also think about my future and think about what I will be doing years from now. Honestly, the fact that I have no idea what will happen to me in the future frightens me. I am the type of person who likes to know what will happen if I engage in something. I rarely appreciate surprises. This is why I am trying harder to grasp control over my life and be more responsible so I will be headed in the right direction in the future. I have had trouble disciplining myself at times, and my schoolwork can be inconsistent at times, even though turns out well in the end. As I am getting older I am working toward being more engaged in my schoolwork and more focused on other types of interests, such as tennis and guitar. I have a whole life ahead of me and I have to try to love and enjoy life as much as I can possibly can.
I would like to take this time to thank the congregation, Forest Church for working with me, Paul and Nancy, and my Coming of Age class.
It has been a great year and I am looking forward to many years at All Souls.