On the road.

Well time is tight this week, I am currently out of town for work.  This could be the start to a long period of time away from training at the Kwoon.  What is important to me now is to fall back to the processes I know for keeping what is important front and center. Going back to my journals may be good.  Spring last year was full of stress trying to figure things out, fall was considerably better.  But really the main difference was my attitude. 

Eat properly, get sleep when I can, stay connected with journals.  That’s a start.

Hey Everybody, meet Newman!

He looked into my eyes, and I looked into his……eight eyes. He looked at my two skinny white legs and I looked at his…..eight strong hairy legs. He looked at my teeth designed mostly for chewing plant food, and I looked into his…..fangs designed to rip insect flesh.

Right now I am only here because my wife has forced me to drive to this pet store in order to hold a tarantula. Only one question goes through my mind….where did I go wrong in choosing a wife.

Holding a tarantula was a goal I set for myself in the I Ho Chuan after my oldest son (who loves all insects and spiders) held a very large tarantula with no fear whatsoever. This was no doubt going to be one of the greatest challenges I had ever faced.

I am Arachnophobic. Size certainly matters, but even very small ones REALLY bother me, especially if they are quick. No matter how many times I have told myself that the fear is irrational and unhealthy, I could not overcome this. I have gotten light headed and nearly passed out from seeing them in the hands of pet store attendants in the past.

So on with my exposure therapy, which is the most common way of treating such phobias. Now the key to exposure therapy is to ensure the experience is not negative. So when asking about the small toonie sized one clinging to the back of his cage and getting the response, “That one might not be a good one for handling” made me very anxious.

The pet store “handler”, (I call them that because they are as brave as those that tame lions and tigers) pulled the container down to the floor and off came the lid. There had already grown a crowd around the isle to see all the commotion. At the site of the rose hair tarantula the 6.5 foot mountain of a man beside me let out a shutter and a“whooah!” which probably didn’t impress his girlfriend much, and certainly didn’t impress me.

I backed away, all the mental preparation up this point got flushed down the toilet and I responded saying “I don’t think I can do this” and was ready to move along. Stephanie, in all her support told me she would do it first, and sure enough, she did.

Well, pull out the focus again, and lay down your hand Vince. I asked if it could bite, and she said, “it probably won’t” which really was not a confidence booster. The creature crawled on to my hand, probably wondering why the ground suddenly got so wet and clammy. I could not believe how gentle this animal was. He strolled half way up my arm with a very thin string of silk coming from his abdomen.

And that was that! One of the toughest things I have done wrapped up in a short 30 seconds. I now have a new friend, he has eight legs, eight eyes, soft furry legs, and I have named him.....Newman.

vincekrebs.blogspot.com

May 9

Since May 9, 2009 this day has been a very significant and personal day for our family.  May 9 has always entailed doing something special with the kids.  This year was no different.  It was spent in the valley of the five lakes in Jasper.

On a day like today, I am thankful for so many reasons. Skinny white legs in cold clear lakes, excitement over a captured grasshopper, spending time with my wife and boys.  No matter how busy this week had become, it was just important to shuffle it all aside and take time for what mattered.

Wasteful thinking

I think about waste….alot.  Every item I unpack that is wrapped in 5 layers of plastic, 3 layers of cardboard and multiple pages of warranty and service instructions in three languages is bothering. 

I think recycling, while a very good idea, is morphing into an excuse to be wasteful.  Take for example the 20lbs of flyers that landed on my doorstep the other day.  All of about three of those pages I have any interest in.  Now instead of cancelling the delivery of those flyers years ago, I justified the process by having a blue bin in the household.  Drop the papers in, forget about it.

The purpose of recycling is to reduce waste, not justify more consumption.  If we look at items for more than its exterior, but really have an appreciation for what went into making this product. In a sense empathetic to its creation, for instance, what went into making that steak you are having for supper.  The sun’s energy, the processes involved in the growth of the grass and the nutrients consumed in its growth.  The energy and nutrients consumed while the animal travels and feeds. The time and energy that went into the growth of that animal.  The animals life itself.

It almost makes me want to turn into a vegetarian. At the very least though, it makes me think of the amount in which I consume, to consider that my consumption does not go without a cost not matter what it is.

vincekrebs.blogspot.com

Stay calm while your hair is on fire.

Stay calm.  Why is this important? 

Take for example a fella who today is anything but Captain Cautious. Probably due to the cold medication he is on. He heads out to his shop and sparks up a project on the work bench.  Now a MIG welder throws heavy sparks, so he is extra cautious.  He moves the jerry can of gasoline off to the side, he might even put the lid back on, and might shove the propane tank out from under his feet.  Whoa! What about that big stack of oily rags right there.  Good thing I…. I mean ‘He’ is super safe this time.  That could have been dangerous.

No one could have foreseen the next few events. I mean, what are the odds that welding sparks would fly through the air a good 24 inches, land still ignited in a rusty bucket of bent nails, burn through a perfectly good plastic shopping bag, ignite the fuse that was attached to a semi-to very long string of Black Cat fire crackers. (yes, they may have been brought across the border by one of his shady friends around the past 4^th of July).

In the panic that ensues, a calm, collective reaction is unlikely.  More likely this fella ends up dropping the MIG welder into the puddle of water at his feet that is the result of seeping water under a wall of his shop from backed up ice against a foundation.

Forget about 1000 rounds of sparring how about “1000 Ways to Die”. 

I guess the lesson here is to expect the unexpected.  The unexpected being the frightened animal response that instinctively rises when you combine electricity, hot metal, explosives and a nincompoop


vincekrebs.blogspot.com

From Bokken to Blade

Here, grab this spitting cobra by the tail.  Swing it around a bit.  Watch out, its teeth are sharp!  That’s me with a Katana in my hands.  When I close my eyes, the differences between this and the Bokken are immense. I feel the handle....its longer, but the grip is quite positive in the hand in comparison to the Bokken.  The balance is very different, and so is the weight.  I have also noticed the sloppiness in my bokken practice is just amplified here.  If the blade isn't swung correctly, it responds in turn.  Everything about this feels foreign, and dangerous.

I was thinking the transition would more seamless, but just a couple minutes with this and I am quickly realizing why they are two different weapons.  There are certainly similarities, but I am thinking now there are as many differences.  I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and am currently wondering what a form would look like with the scabbard on.

I was really excited about my weapon choice, but now I am a little nervous.  At this stage it feels like I am at square one again, and here I think, is there any way I can do this awesome weapon justice.  Most importantly, can I do it without lopping off my limbs.

vincekrebs.blogspot.com

Watermelon Trapezoids

Our wives had given us a very simple task that sunny afternoon.  Cut the watermelon up and bring it out to us on the deck to enjoy in good company.  So in the kitchen, my good friend of many years grabbed a sharp knife and began massacring the fruit.  I mean he cut it into spheres, prisms, even tesseracts.  Looking over at him his answer came quick to the curios look on my face.  He said to me, “Vince…if you do a job poorly enough the first time you will never be asked again.” 

What does it exactly mean to be mediocre? Does this mean a poor snow shovelling job on a neighbors walk, an unmaintained vehicle, or spelling errors in a blog post for that matter are signs of mediocrity?  Going back over the definition of mastery offered by Stewart Emery I am bouncing this around a bit and not sure where I will land.

vincekrebs.blogspot.com