Back to normal?

It seems furious storm over Shaq and Yao Ming had died down for now. I'd to think that people have learned from this incident, but I highly doubt it. If anything, history shows that there's always another ignorant (famous) person out there ready to make more "chingchongahso" or "go eat with your fortune cookies" comments like Mr. O'Neal.

Anyways, I went to kendo practice again... guess I'm back to my Tuesday routine of kendo at Renton. The size of the people at the dojo has grown quite a bit since I left for college, there's easily about 40+ people now. It's kinda cool to see a lot of them are kids, too... reminds me when I started back in 8th grade, except now, I'm one of the senior students. Teaching the beginners things like basic waza (technique) feel strange, because in many ways, I still feel like a beginner. I've probably been doing kendo for nine years, but my ability is no where near what it should be, at least in terms of basics and waza mastery. Sure, I have plenty of sparring practice, but you can only fight as well as you've trained yourself on the basic movements.

I regret not being able to practice more, but there were a couple of reasons. One of which was my involvement with AACF, which was every Wednesday, the same day as the UW club practice - I don't regret making that sacrifice, I enjoyed AACF and it helped me to grow spiritually a lot.

But I do regret not practicing other days - since my sister monopolized the car for most of my college (she was always at work or with her friends), I wasn't able to go out to practice very regularly at the UW or other clubs. I suppose I could have pushed for having the car more, but I found back then arguing with my sister to pretty fruitless. She pretty much does whatever she wants, she doesn't listen to me. I, of course, would ask my mom to do her job as a parental arbitrator to grant me my supposed right of "equal access", but being that my Mom always wants to be "buddy-buddy" with my sister, she never went to bat for me and actually made my sister share the car with me..

Oh well, such was life back then for yours truly. My less well-mannered friends used to always tell me I should to knock my sister the f!#@ out if she gave me lip (a frequent occurence), but yeah... I never did. I guess my sister took advantage of the fact I was too kind-hearted to never force my will like that.

Another regret of mis-spent time, I suppose. Ever notice how when you're at a low point in your life, it's always easier to identify things you regret?

The deluge that comes to mind: not going to kendo practice more; not fighting for my right to the car; not working a "real job"; not pursuing that DC internship; not pursuing ANY internship; not studying Japanese; not finishing my study of Mandarin; not going to a foreign study program; not going to Europe; staying at my campus job; spending too much time with KC sophomore year; giving that letter to KC sophomore year; spending too much time with the bottle after KC my sophomore year; living with a crazy Korean roommate junior year; not going to AACF more my first 2 years; never taking an art or design class; never finding a mentor; never building relationships with the professors I was cool with; not taking more film classes, spending too much time doing volunteer work for other people and my church...

That was entirely too easy to list... didn't take me more than 5 minutes to type all that up. See what I mean?

Shut up, and eat your cereal, Garrett... sugary milk helps the restless soul swallow the bitter pill.
posted by G at 2:19 AM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33