Phew! Not sitting in chairs has kept me busy and inspired me to find all the wasted moments of my days. So busy I have not had time to update this blog! Perhaps that is too busy? Let's see... every day, I set a timer to get up and move every 15 to 30 minutes (or an hour when I'm feeling beat up or harried). Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays find me doing barbell lift/pull-up/ring dip/iron body supersets every 15 minutes. Monday through Friday sees me carrying extra weight to and from taekwondo. Every night that I'm not totally exhausted, I go to the park and practice taekwondo in the starry silence. I don't think I would have reached this level of activity without going chairless. Refusing chairs has forced me to be more present and to notice how much productivity is lost while succumbing to their seductions.
Last night, soon after I began my journey home, some teenager among a dozen others called out to me as I was walking out from the middle of the park, asking whether he could train tai chi with me and whether I would kick his ass. To the first question, I told him it was taekwondo and to visit one of our classes. To the second, I simply said "Nope!" I don't think he was serious; he seemed more intent on mocking and impressing his entourage with his dumbassery. At least, that's what my gut told me. If he was serious, he would have attempted to gain more information. I wanted to say "Only if you deserve it!", but I thought better of it.
Mastery is what the master has not yet attained and hopes never to attain. Well, a wise master would agree. That is to say, anyone who accepts the title 'master' bestowed upon them without reservation should be viewed with suspicion. If you listen to highly accomplished athletes and the wealthy talk candidly about their achievements, you will sometimes hear them admit how depressing it is to finally bump into the ceiling. Forever after, they are chasing the next Everest. Some get caught in thrill seeking. Some fall into disrepute. Some pass on their learning. The rest of us marvel and worship at their feet. We do them and humanity a disservice by deifying them. To elevate them so is to deny our own capacities for growth. Thus, we settle into a closed mindset that wastes our lives.