And So It Calls

September is drawing to a close, and October approaches swiftly, bring my favorite season along to settle around us--FALL! I absolutely love fall, and it makes me want to shimmy, hop-jump, and prance about with delight and unwonted abandon. The smell of the air; cool and fresh, slowly growing crisp in each day that passes. The wind whispers--stay awhile--and the sun and mood around you conspire with the breeze, playfully laying waste to all excuses put before them.
Ahh yes, I love fall. A time for preparation, reflection, cleaning, gathering, storing, preserving; becoming efficient and prepared. A time for making amends and tying up loose ends. The time to enjoy the slowing of pace life is offering.

So, what am I doing? I am enjoying arguably, my favorite time in Japan: late September through October into early November. The girls and I have planned on some forays in celebration of the season. We have on deck a handful of trips to Tokyo's Yoyogi park, Ueno Park, Hamarikyu Detached Palace Garden, and Rikugien Garden. Of course Hakone, a gorgeous area to while and relax your time away around the foot of Mt Fuji. Of course we have other things planned like mikon picking, and possibly sweet potato picking and/or rice harvesting... only time will tell. Dispite all the plans and monotonies of life, my sorely missed Love is beckoning me once again: Aikido. Finally, with my doctor's blessing, I may grace the mat once again; though I have to admit, there will be nothing graceful about getting back, but I am game.

What you are looking at is the fastidiously cleaned,--by a gracious Navy Corpsman--longest of two pieces of hardware put into my arm after I broke it: four days after my birthday (the other plate is only one hole less). Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me... Yea, me! I did post the x-rays in Found It!. Due to the lack of body mass, or as the Monterey orthopedic surgeon put it, "such a slender arm"... skinny arsed is what he professionally meant... I couldn't keep the ulna plate in my arm, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it--you can't quite ignore the bitch that it was. Now that it is out, thanks to the kind graces of the Naval Hospital here, I can return to my regularly scheduled lifestyle of lots of aikido; yet in a different way.This unplanned break in body and training was much needed. I had been on a fast track through aikido since I got a good taste of it. I found I just couldn't let it go. Well there is only so much one can do before the Universe forcefully calls time out. I planned on one, just not quite like this. It was very hard going from six to seven days of training a week, to absolutely zilch. It was like hitting a brick wall, Unfortunate style--looking one way, while running full speed in the other. I wasn't happy at all, but a forced cooling of heels, mind and spirit does a lot to the inner and outer self. I really needed time off the mat, and not the slackening of training I had planned after my birthday. My last public demonstration brought to the forefront my need to finally assimilate all that I had been learning. I can only create and execute work physically and mentally, when I have relinquished my mind from expectation and form. I thank Sensei Miracle Hands (excellent chiropractor if your ever in Monterey) for having teaching the class, and I thank our MusicMan for being there as my training partner when the Universe decided to call my time out.

Now, in all that has transpired within these last eight months, I find I have conscientiously and unconsciously garnered a few of aikido's understandings and works in my everyday, without much thought until after the fact--you could say I have been influenced.
Here are a few of the ones that have surfaced.

The Mat and Life are one and the same--to resist this truth, is a useless and futile fight; embarrassment is sure to ensue.

Stay in the Moment.

Nothing ever goes as Believed and Planned: despite the act itself, or the sentiments during or after the deed.

Get off the Line: MOVE!

Blend; regardless of how you feel--it is only temporary.

Use the energy given, then add yours to make that shift--the change within and without.

Let It go, then you can finally see what It really is to you; enabling you to finally act and be in the moment.

Be Honest... inside and out.

You don't ever know the Story behind the individual in front of you, even when you believe you are acquainted/intimate with It and them.

Shut-up! Truly Listen...

Create Space. You can't seriously cook in a dirty, cluttered and full kitchen.

Oh yes; and check the Ego at the door.