jessteronimo

Black, Baby!

On September 17th, I fulfilled a major dream of mine: I tested for and earned a black belt in Kenpo karate.

When I started studying Kenpo in 2006, I didn’t really have Black as a goal. I was looking for a cardio activity that would challenge my mind and body, and I wanted to learn how to defend myself. But after attending the AKKI camp in Las Vegas a few months into my training and seeing how the other black belts in the AKKI system moved, I was inspired to set a goal of becoming a black belt. I knew it would be hard work and require a lot of dedication, but it still surprised me how hard it was. Although I love it, martial arts doesn't come as naturally to me as it does to some I know, so I've had to work harder than some to gain the skills, and I have a lot left to learn. Over the four years I've studied the art, I missed class only a few times a year, regularly picked the brains of and tried to mimic superior artists and instructors, practiced mentally and physically almost constantly, taught other students for the last two years, and participated in as many extra seminars as I could. My dear family has been incredibly patient with my frequent absences, and I've felt the support of family and friends all along the journey. There's no other way I would have been able to test in every camp since that first one, which allowed me to gain a new belt roughly every six months.

I overcame my fears and many obstacles to attain this goal, including pushing through a couple of pretty wicked burnout periods and battling health issues. Was it worth it? You better believe it! Ben keeps teasing me that I will "rank and run," a phrase coined for a common phenomenon when people achieve the black belt status and then soon quit studying martial arts. But he knows I'm too addicted now to ever do that. Besides, this is only the beginning of my journey. I still have so much to learn! I'm incredibly lucky to have such great instructors, including Mr. Ryan Wheaton, Mr. Shawn Gough, Mr. George Thomsen, and of course the living legend, AKKI founder Mr. Paul Mills. My sincerest thanks to these fine gentlemen and to my other instructors and fellow students in the art. It's been a real pleasure so far!

Tribute to RB

Today is the 15th anniversary of the day we laid my mother to rest, thus losing the privilege of her loving embrace and warm, enthusiastic smile. The thought is as impossible today as it was those many years ago, and I suspect it always will be. Some of us are having more trouble with the grieving this year than others, and my heart aches for us all. I do what I can to ease our pains, but grief is a lonely business.

To those who have lost loved ones and those who are losing them now, I am ever so sorry and pray that your fears and pains will ease soon.

To those who knew Robbie, raise a glass of your favorite drink (mine is her mug filled with mint hot chocolate) and remember her this day!  

Road Rage Gone Wrong

I turned the corner wide, like I watch everyone else do every single morning when turning that particular corner. But because I wasn't used to the visibility in my new car, I didn't see the little Mazda Miata that was in the lane in merged into--who had to swurve out of my way. Now, I know what you're thinking, but I really am a good driver. I felt really bad about this lapse, so when we got stopped next to each other at the next stoplight, I mouthed "sorry" to him as he turned to yell at me. He suddenly started gesturing more angrily (sans the "bird," thank the Light). I kept mouthing "sorry," quite unable to do anything else. I certainly wasn't going to ignore him when I was in the wrong. The light changed, and I was relieved that he sped off with a parting thumb's down sign. But then we got stopped next to each other at the next light, and he rolled down his window. Now I was getting frustrated. Okay, here we go, I thought angrily. I rolled down my window, and as he leaned over in his seat to get in better shouting distance, I called out, "So sorry!"

He froze with his mouth hanging open, clearly stunned that a fellow driver would readily admit to wrongdoing. "Oh," he called then, "I totally thought you were telling me it was my fault!"

"Oh no!" I called. "I know what I did wrong. Very sorry!"

"Well... okay then," he called back, followed by, "Have a great day!" And he sped away again, all happy.

As I watched his lights leave me, I thought that that whole exchange would have been easier if I had a custom horn that shouted, "Ooops! Sorry! My bad!" But then of course, we'd have to have the other custom horns, the ones that say things like "Hang up and drive!" and "That is NOT driving, you MORON!" and "Get out of my way!" and far, far more, um, expressive sayings. This would undoubtedly get out of hand rapidly. So I guess gesturing and talking through windows will have to cut it for now, and the road rage will continue. I can't wait for robotic cars!

Countdown

At high noon tomorrow, I'll be beginning the test for my black belt in kenpo karate. It's been an almost-four-year journey, and I've worked really hard, harder than I thought I could. I hate tests of any kind, and I hate performing, and being in front of other people, and drawing attention of any kind. So my nature is perfectly suited for a grueling test with perhaps a dozen others performing intense, intricate, elegant, and very physical movements for close to 3 hours in a hot, small room in front of a board of about 65 high-ranking black belts and hundreds of bystanders. This is my seventh test, and each time I test, I just pray not to mess up and embarrass myself and my instructors.

I truly believe that I have some of the best instructors on the planet who selflessly share and give of their time and training year after year; I thank them now for a wonderful journey so far. No matter what happens tomorrow, I'm grateful it's finally happening. Even if I don't pass the test tomorrow, I will someday pass it. And I'll be able to sleep again tomorrow night, which I haven't done well for the past month and a half. Wish me luck!

A Star Is Born

I think my new niece, Kyra, is a super star already. She was born just after 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9th--two weeks early (good girl). Her momma was having mild contractions all day long at work. But since she'd been having Braxton Hicks contractions for days, mommy didn't realize that baby was truly on the way until late in the evening when things got serious. She almost waited too long. By the time she got to the hospital, the contractions were super close together. They put her right into the delivery room while nurses scurried to prepare for the rapidly approaching delivery. Luckily, the doctor made it in time and readied herself. One nurse was helping my sister focus on her breathing and fight her sudden desire and loud, anxious demands for pain killers, even though she had firmly decided to have a natural birth (the crazy lady). The other nurse left the room to get ice chips. As the door closed behind her, something snapped. The door instantly jammed, locking my sister, her husband, one nurse, and her doctor inside--and everyone else outside the room. I'm not kidding. The people from outside slid a butter knife under the door so the doctor could unscrew the handle and remove the hardware. Then the outside nurses passed vital tools and drugs through the hole to the doctor inside. Unbelievable.

My sister was quite caught up in her pain and didn't realize what was happening until the fire department arrived and chopped the door open with an ax. Her perfect daughter was born 18 minutes after she arrived at the hospital. The baby came so quickly that her little head was perfectly round without a hint of cone shape to it. She has perfect skin, a whisp of black hair, old man feet with long toes, and the most intense dark blue eyes I've ever seen. She looks to me like a tiny bundle of calm wisdom grasping your heart. And my sister is still glowing all happy and filled with wonder, even though both she and her husband are quite worn out already.

I can't wait to babysit! I can't wait to teach her some karate moves. I can't wait to take her shopping or to the movies or for ice cream. I can't wait for her to play with my girls. I can't wait to hear her thoughts and stories. This is gonna be fun!

Attacks from Inanimate Objects

I caught the movement out of the upper right corner of my eye and looked up just in time to see the large, full, heavy binder tumbling off the top shelf of my work desk hutch just before it hit me in the face. It didn't hurt a whole lot, but the corner of the binder left a tiny red scratch beneath my right eye. The malicious book must have hit harder than I thought, though, because it also left a little surprise for two days later--a black eye that is just starting to be visible. Swell!