Best Laid Plans

Last year it felt like I Ho Chuan (IHC) was the year to get things figured out. Planning how to fit Kung Fu and particularly IHC more effectively into my life. After journalling (not just the online journal) I felt like I had figured quite a bit out. Things like, my busiest times of year and planning IHC requirements around that. Journalling helped a lot! It pointed out things I hadn’t noticed before.

Yup, I thought I had it all worked out so that this year’s IHC could go more smoothly.

You guessed it, enter “Murphy”!

I have spent much of this year either very busy, or injured, or both. I strained my shoulder too much and had to go to physio. Guess what weapon I chose? Cane! With lots of circular movements of the shoulder. So much for practice. I can tell you that practicing in your head is not the same!

Then I did something to my back and proceeded to live on pain killers for a few weeks so that I could help my dad with selling his house and moving. This included driving to and from the west coast twice. I could barely move after that!

Without going into any more details… kiss the plans goodbye!

So, as a result of this and letting my journaling slide, I am behind in all kinds of ways. Sifu Brinker asked me if I was going to be able to come back more regularly, I told him about some of what was still going on. He said something like, “So that’s a no then”. My reply, then and now, is that I don’t want that to be my answer. Kung Fu is too important in my life to not work to find a way to make it fit. There must be a way!!!

This has been a frustrating year, since I’m watching my classmates advance in their belt levels while I lag behind unable to do some of the things because my body refuses to let me (traitor!) and, as I said above, practicing in your head just isn’t the same. I forgot stuff.

They say that, with age comes wisdom, but the older I get the more childlike I feel in relation to that “wisdom”. I’m not sure it will ever come.

That said, this year has brought some interesting developments. One of my goals that I had wanted to put on my list for this year, but didn’t because it looked impossible for this year at least, looks like it will be taking place after all. More news on that once things have been confirmed.

There have also been some developments with regards to a couple of last year’s personal goals. The research/study that I had intended to put a set number of hours into last year is accumulating more hours this year. Some tools for one of last year’s IHC goals, that were lost, finally re-emerged. Maybe the universe is telling me that I’m just meant to complete such goals later than expected?

The journey continues.