Hey little guy,
Today is the 22nd of July, so it is just about 91 days until you are due. Keep up the growing! Your mom is saying that if you keep it up at this rate, you may be about 10 pounds when you are born. Whether you are 10 or 6 we will still love you anyway.
Since it is the 22nd and we get paid at the University around the 7th and 22nd every month I thought I would talk to you today about money.
Money is a tool, though there are a lot of people who disagree about that. It is a way to get you the things you want and need, It is a way to show the value you place in the service they provide. (Tips, raises, etc.) There are also those who say it is the root of all evil. ( I disagree, but sometimes it is a challenge to be overcome) Here is the deal, If you want something in life you have to be willing to work for it. There are some tools that can help you get it, but you have to remember that they are tools, nothing more.
Credit cards are a great way to give yourself a "Loan" for something you need to pay for now, but will be paying back and more that it would cost. They are not a permanent solution, but they can give you a little joy when you are able to buy things now, as long as you are willing to pay more in the long term it is a trade off. This morning, when I looked at one of my cards for example I had a little more as a balance than I had planned on paying. Knowing that, I paid the whole thing off. (Sometimes credit cards give you joy in getting what you need to on them, and more joy in paying it off!) If you can, save your money. I have a little bank account that I stash $50 a paycheck away. I do not see it, I do not use it but very occasionally but it allows me to have some money when we need it for vacations, or other trips. The cool part is that the $50 builds up. Yes it is only $50 now, but by next pay check it is 100, in 6 months it is 600, by the end of the year if I do not use it it is 1200 (Plus the interest they pay me for keeping it there)
This is a new thing to me. When I was growing up, I had allowance. My dad gave us $5 every 2 weeks until we got our first jobs. I always went out and spent it as soon as I had it. most often on toys or something. Every 2 weeks for awhile, your Uncle Corey and I would go to Toys R Us and buy Star Trek figurines (About $5 each) the thing was this. Every week I bought them sometimes ones that I liked but was not totally in love with, and every week I eyed the bigger much more expensive things that I wanted more but did save up for. The thing was, that if I had saved a few months of it, I could have had the bigger cooler toy I had eyed. You have to be willing to delay the satisfaction of getting something cool now, for something cooler and nicer later sometimes.
One last note on money. When I was in Kindergarten my mom worked on the movie Promised Land. We all were extras in parts of it, but I remember my part pretty well. There is a scene where they are in a toy store and there is a kid and his mom who walk down the aisle looking at toys. I was that little kid. They set me up with the fake mom and we walked up and down that aisle over and over again while they got the action in the scene they were really filming. At first I was excited to be doing it, then after what seemed to me hundreds of takes, I was ready to quit. I talked to my mom about it and she told me that I could quit, but if I did, I was not going to get paid. I did not end up quitting, and at the end of the day I got a little toy bow and arrow that I had wanted. At the end of the day, what mattered was I was willing to put the work in to get what I had wanted. I could have quit and not gotten the toy. (Truth is, now I have no idea what ever happened to it) But I knew that if I walked away I was not getting the thing I wanted, in fact I was not getting paid at all, and since I had put the time into it, I may as well get paid for the whole thing.
I never want you to worry about money, but to do that you need to see it as a tool to get what you want. You can spend it all when you get it but at some point you have to ask, is it worth a little satisfaction now (The candy bar, the Fast food dinner,) when if you save it you can use it for something better down the road. I would rather save 5 dollars now, so I can spend it at Disneyland than to spend it on a coke and a candy bar now and not be able to go to Disneyland, or on a sword trip because I didn't save at all. It is really your choice, but never think that money can only be the root of all evil. as I read in a quote once (Paraphrased). No is the second most powerful word in the English language, because when you say no to one thing you are saying yes to something else. You have to ask yourself what it is that you want, then smilingly and unapologetically say no to everything else. As Voltaire said "The best is the enemy of the good."
-Dad
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
92 Days: Good enough
92 days
Good enough
Sometimes things you will read in these blogs will seem conflicting. Today may be one of them.
In an earlier blog I said to give it your best, do what you could and it would be alright. Yesterday I said that sometimes something to fill your time was a good thing and you needed to give it all you had. Today we are going to talk about something that is a bit different, good enough.
There are going to be some things in life that are worth giving your all. Some hobbies are like that, some things in school are that way. Some things you must give your all. But I will be honest here, sometimes you can't be so worried about perfection that you never finish anything. It may not all be done, but sometimes that has to be OK. The trick is to know when that is.
If we are having company and I need to clean the house but only have 3 hours to do it ,does it make sense to scrub the grout on the kitchen floor if that will take me an hour? If it is the only thing I have to do sure. If not, it is better to spend the time to get the most things done to meet the deadline knowing that if I do it all and have an hour to spare, then it may be a good time to do the long involved task.
In school you will learn this on some tests. Go through and do the ones you can do easily, leave the more complicated ones for after the easy ones are done. That way, if you run out of time you do not miss the easy ones you would have gotten right because you spent your whole time on the one that you had to work hard to work out. Life is a lot like that. If you are waiting on the perfect thing to come along, you may be waiting for a long long time. Sometimes you may have to accept that this is good enough and work to make it better than to wait forever for something that does not come.
It is like this. When I was in Junior High (1992-1994) my Dad bought us bus passes so we could get around. Sometimes, when I was waiting for the bus I would wait at the stop, for just a second see if the bus was coming, figure out if I could make it to the next stop before it did, then walk further down the route and repeat the same thing over again. What I found some days was that by the time I caught the bus, I was halfway home, but I felt that I had done something with that time instead of waiting at the same spot for 20 minutes and still getting home a the same time. Sometimes good enough is about though it is not your preference to walk, walking and when the bus gets to you it does. Sometimes that means you may get the whole way or most of the way home before the bus gets to you but I know for me, I feel more accomplished when I have done something to help myself then if I had just waited and the bus had never come.
There is one warning I have about this, know what you can call good enough and what you can't. If you are doing homework, it is better to do all of it, so you are sure you cement the concept in your brain. If you have run out of time though, it is far better to hand it in on time and not perfect then late and perfect because you never know what you will get for something you felt was perfect. The key to good enough is to balance things. When I tell you to clean your room, I am not expecting perfection, just presentable. If you are trying to impress the boss, or sell an idea, or finish crafting something that someone else will buy or want to, you will find much more success (and people will pay you more for it) if it is done right then if it is done quickly and good enough just to meet the deadline.
I bring this up because it was not something I heard growing up. I want you to do your best, but know that it is far better to put all of your energy into something that really matters (may be worth more points, etc in school) than to put all your time and energy into a little project that is not as important.
In art, or writing, or music, you get to a point where you need to be done with it. Going over it and over it is not going to make it any better, it is just going to make it worse.
-Dad
Good enough
Sometimes things you will read in these blogs will seem conflicting. Today may be one of them.
In an earlier blog I said to give it your best, do what you could and it would be alright. Yesterday I said that sometimes something to fill your time was a good thing and you needed to give it all you had. Today we are going to talk about something that is a bit different, good enough.
There are going to be some things in life that are worth giving your all. Some hobbies are like that, some things in school are that way. Some things you must give your all. But I will be honest here, sometimes you can't be so worried about perfection that you never finish anything. It may not all be done, but sometimes that has to be OK. The trick is to know when that is.
If we are having company and I need to clean the house but only have 3 hours to do it ,does it make sense to scrub the grout on the kitchen floor if that will take me an hour? If it is the only thing I have to do sure. If not, it is better to spend the time to get the most things done to meet the deadline knowing that if I do it all and have an hour to spare, then it may be a good time to do the long involved task.
In school you will learn this on some tests. Go through and do the ones you can do easily, leave the more complicated ones for after the easy ones are done. That way, if you run out of time you do not miss the easy ones you would have gotten right because you spent your whole time on the one that you had to work hard to work out. Life is a lot like that. If you are waiting on the perfect thing to come along, you may be waiting for a long long time. Sometimes you may have to accept that this is good enough and work to make it better than to wait forever for something that does not come.
It is like this. When I was in Junior High (1992-1994) my Dad bought us bus passes so we could get around. Sometimes, when I was waiting for the bus I would wait at the stop, for just a second see if the bus was coming, figure out if I could make it to the next stop before it did, then walk further down the route and repeat the same thing over again. What I found some days was that by the time I caught the bus, I was halfway home, but I felt that I had done something with that time instead of waiting at the same spot for 20 minutes and still getting home a the same time. Sometimes good enough is about though it is not your preference to walk, walking and when the bus gets to you it does. Sometimes that means you may get the whole way or most of the way home before the bus gets to you but I know for me, I feel more accomplished when I have done something to help myself then if I had just waited and the bus had never come.
There is one warning I have about this, know what you can call good enough and what you can't. If you are doing homework, it is better to do all of it, so you are sure you cement the concept in your brain. If you have run out of time though, it is far better to hand it in on time and not perfect then late and perfect because you never know what you will get for something you felt was perfect. The key to good enough is to balance things. When I tell you to clean your room, I am not expecting perfection, just presentable. If you are trying to impress the boss, or sell an idea, or finish crafting something that someone else will buy or want to, you will find much more success (and people will pay you more for it) if it is done right then if it is done quickly and good enough just to meet the deadline.
I bring this up because it was not something I heard growing up. I want you to do your best, but know that it is far better to put all of your energy into something that really matters (may be worth more points, etc in school) than to put all your time and energy into a little project that is not as important.
In art, or writing, or music, you get to a point where you need to be done with it. Going over it and over it is not going to make it any better, it is just going to make it worse.
-Dad
Monday, July 20, 2015
93 days: time
93 days
Sometime patience is not my best virtue. I try to wait, to keep calm but sometimes it does not happen. I also know that there will be things in your life you are not patient about. Maybe it is something neat coming up that you are excited about, maybe something you are nervous about that you just can't wait to get here so you can have it over with, maybe it is the line at the grocery store or slow traffic. Whatever it is there will be times that you may have your patience tested. Try as I might, I do not have a good solution for it except to say the best way to get through it is to keep focused on what is at hand or focus on something else.
Einstein said that time was relative. We know that is true. When you are having a great time, time seems to fly, when you are bored or doing something you do not like to do it seems to go on forever. In reality, every day has 24 hours, every hour is 60 minutes, every minute is 60 seconds and whether you like it or not, time will come. It may feel like forever, but take the time to enjoy things while they are happening instead of jumping to the next thing and missing the thing at hand.
When I was younger, I thought it was unfair that a man only had 90 years or 100 years or 83 years or what have you, to live. It is a clock that we can't see, something we won't know until our time is up. I felt like it was unfair that some people lived to be 68 and others 103. I also felt like 100 years was not enough time to experience and do everything I wanted to do. As I get older I think less on the fairness of it all and more on the fact that it is what it is, and complaining that it is unfair is not going to make it change.
Here is the thing: You will find things you enjoy doing at all ages. Sometimes finding them a bit later in life means that you miss the boat on some things. I have been doing Olympic fencing for a year but at the ripe old age of 34 I know I will never compete in the Olympics. That is the case with many things. That is not a reason not to compete or do them, it is just a fact. In life you can complain about how unfair or how wrong things are, or you can step up, accept them as facts and figure out what you want to do about it. It is really your choice. Some facts are fixed, some are not. I can't go back and change how old I am to be able to play Baseball in a peewee league. But if I want to play Baseball I can find a team or build a league and play now instead of whining about it. I may not be able to change the rules of something but I can always decide how I want to play with them. (Even if it is not playing at all because I think they are dumb rules) I can't fix how I placed in a tournament, but I can fix things I did wrong, or things I can do better so next time I place better.
Overall my point is this. The more time you spend worrying about how much time you have left, or how much you wish that something was closer, the less time you get to spend enjoying the time you have. Your due date is 93 days from today. I wish it was closer, but what I know is that I have time to get ready for you to come, then if you were born tomorrow. I am excited for it to be here, but I know that time will get us there, and no matter how much I wish it would go faster, the time it takes is good enough.
I am excited to see you, but lets make sure you as ready as you can be before you get here.
-Dad
Sometime patience is not my best virtue. I try to wait, to keep calm but sometimes it does not happen. I also know that there will be things in your life you are not patient about. Maybe it is something neat coming up that you are excited about, maybe something you are nervous about that you just can't wait to get here so you can have it over with, maybe it is the line at the grocery store or slow traffic. Whatever it is there will be times that you may have your patience tested. Try as I might, I do not have a good solution for it except to say the best way to get through it is to keep focused on what is at hand or focus on something else.
Einstein said that time was relative. We know that is true. When you are having a great time, time seems to fly, when you are bored or doing something you do not like to do it seems to go on forever. In reality, every day has 24 hours, every hour is 60 minutes, every minute is 60 seconds and whether you like it or not, time will come. It may feel like forever, but take the time to enjoy things while they are happening instead of jumping to the next thing and missing the thing at hand.
When I was younger, I thought it was unfair that a man only had 90 years or 100 years or 83 years or what have you, to live. It is a clock that we can't see, something we won't know until our time is up. I felt like it was unfair that some people lived to be 68 and others 103. I also felt like 100 years was not enough time to experience and do everything I wanted to do. As I get older I think less on the fairness of it all and more on the fact that it is what it is, and complaining that it is unfair is not going to make it change.
Here is the thing: You will find things you enjoy doing at all ages. Sometimes finding them a bit later in life means that you miss the boat on some things. I have been doing Olympic fencing for a year but at the ripe old age of 34 I know I will never compete in the Olympics. That is the case with many things. That is not a reason not to compete or do them, it is just a fact. In life you can complain about how unfair or how wrong things are, or you can step up, accept them as facts and figure out what you want to do about it. It is really your choice. Some facts are fixed, some are not. I can't go back and change how old I am to be able to play Baseball in a peewee league. But if I want to play Baseball I can find a team or build a league and play now instead of whining about it. I may not be able to change the rules of something but I can always decide how I want to play with them. (Even if it is not playing at all because I think they are dumb rules) I can't fix how I placed in a tournament, but I can fix things I did wrong, or things I can do better so next time I place better.
Overall my point is this. The more time you spend worrying about how much time you have left, or how much you wish that something was closer, the less time you get to spend enjoying the time you have. Your due date is 93 days from today. I wish it was closer, but what I know is that I have time to get ready for you to come, then if you were born tomorrow. I am excited for it to be here, but I know that time will get us there, and no matter how much I wish it would go faster, the time it takes is good enough.
I am excited to see you, but lets make sure you as ready as you can be before you get here.
-Dad
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Day 95 & 94 Appreciate beauty & The family you choose
I did not write yesterday.
I would have written but between sword, and going to American Fork for the Ukulele festival with Heather and Zeb there was just not enough time. Sometimes life happens little man.
That being said, I play to more than make it up to you today.
95 Days,
We went to the Ukulele festival in American Fork last night with Heather and Zeb. (You do not know them yet, but you will I am sure) We bought your mom a Ukulele, she is excited to learn how to play it. Maybe with a little luck and some practice, we will be playing it for you soon.
Since this is a 2 day post, today I have 2 things for you.
Embrace beauty.
Sometimes, in the middle of life, when things are busy or you are too worried about what is next, how you are going to get everything done before you need to, it is easy to forget that we live in a beautiful world. When things are tough, sometimes its the little things that make it all alright. Tomorrow, the sun will rise over those same mountains. Don't forget to look for that beauty son.
During the concert last night there was a micro burst rain storm. Out of one of the windows I watched the sunlight on a building that was just outside of the one we were in. The way that the sun hit the building it was in a word beautiful. The man who designed it had not intended for it to be I am sure.
Of course you want it to be aesthetically pleasing, yes, functional, sure. Beautiful? Not necessarily.
Sometimes you have to lift you head and look for the beauty. Sometimes you have to get in close and breathe it in. Look for the dew on the grass in the morning, Listen for the song of the mourning doves, the smell of the rain on hot cement. Sometimes you must look for beauty, we live in a beautiful world, you need only seek it out. Some things you can never catch through the frame of a Photo lens, at least not really. Don't forget to stop taking pictures sometimes and instead enjoy the moment, breathe it in, make a memory. Sometimes life happens and you must step back and observe it and smile. Live your life, enjoy it.
Embrace the beauty son,
-Dad
94 Days,
This morning I felt you move again, after we had breakfast mom told me that you keep moving, could be the Orange Juice, but it makes me happy to hear that you are moving so much. Sometimes it is hard to be a waiting dad. I know you are there, I know you are growing and I will see you soon, but it is hard to not see you. Sometimes when your mom or the puppies are asleep, I worry that they are not breathing and so I watch for their chest moving. It is never something to worry about but things like that happen, they occur to you. You love them so much, but know it is better to see if they are breathing, than to wake them up and confirm it.
Family,
There are people you are related to who sometimes you are not sure you want to be related to. Sometimes the people who share our same genes but little else, you disagree on many things, you do not have much in common with them but they are family. You have 2 "brothers" who we love as if they were our own children. Some call them fur babies, I call Sam and Sketti my sons and love them as much as I love anyone. They are my chosen family. I have other friends who I share no blood with who are as dear to me as some of my genetic family. That is a part of life. You are going to have Uncles, Aunts, and grand parents with whom you share no blood but I assure you they are family. Some family you are born with, some you choose, some choose you. Some of your nearest and dearest friends will feel like family even when your family does not. That does not mean that family is not important. Your Great Grandmother, who passed away recently used to say you don't divorce family. Sometimes the same goes for the family you choose.
There are lots of other people who you do not share blood with who will call you family, we all love you and are excited to meet you.
-Dad
Friday, July 17, 2015
96 days Don't give up
Punchy- (That is what we are calling you until we let people know what we are actually naming you)
96 days until you due date.
Last night your mom and I talked about this blog a bit and she asked me if I was going to print it out when it was done. I may just do that. If you are not born on the 22nd of October but instead the 27th or 28th like some people have told me they think you will be I will keep writing until you are here. No reason to end the project just because you were born a little later.
Last night I felt you kick for the first time. Your mom and I had just finished listening to the Mayoral primary debate on the radio and she called me over to feel you kick. It was the first time it has happened. Not the first time that you have kicked mind you, it just seems like she feels you move then she calls me over, and when I put my hand on her belly you stop. Like somehow you know that I am trying to feel you move too and you will have none of it.
A few weeks ago we played you some lullabies and she said you moved to some of them, and did not to others and it made us wonder if you have an innate sense already of what kind of music you like and what you do not. (takes the whole nature vs nurture thing a step deeper) I think it was on the same night that I blew raspberries on her belly and she said it made you move.
They tell us that at this point in time you can see light through the belly, and that we should play with a flashlight with it. I am not sure it makes sense, but that is what they tell us.
I seriously can't wait for you to get here. There are so many questions I am curious about that I have no way of knowing right now. I wonder when you will have your first freckles (I have little doubt you will have them at some point) What your eye color is, what your hair color is. They can tell us about how long you are and how much you weigh. We are just excited to meet you, when you are ready, no need to rush the next 96 days.
Mom is starting to not fit in her pre-pregnancy clothes and we are just about to start the last trimester so we know you have a ways to grow. They tell me that your brain is developing, so mom has been making sure we have a good breakfast of eggs every morning so you are getting the protein you need. 96 days until we get to meet you. They say being a father changes a man. I am not sure if that is so, but what I do know is that I want little more than to be there to support you when you need help, if you are confused about things or want to know why things are what they are, I will be there for you.
Dad's advise for the day:
I have been doing some of the things I do a long time; Sword being one of them. Some days I feel like I am working really hard to do my best but even at my best it is not 100% natural to me. There are going to be things that you want to do that no matter how hard you want to be the best, they may not come naturally. Don't give up. If it is something you really want, you will get better. That is not to say you will one day be the best at some things, but that does not mean that you give it up. Some things come easier to some people than others. A guy who is 6' 3" is going to have an easier time winning a foot race then someone who is 5'3". If you love it, if it makes you happy, give it what you've got. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, even if you do not always believe in yourself. They may tell you they think you can win and you don't feel it. They may tell you that you are one of the best they know, and you still fail. The thing is this though when it happens you have not let anyone down unless you did not give it all you had that is all that we can expect from anyone. If you are in it to do your best, you do the best you can. Sometimes it means you did not succeed, but if you gave it your all, you can't be disappointed by how you did, and there is always next time.
I will see you in a few months, (I get to catch you and clamp the cord, or so the birth plan says.)
-Dad
96 days until you due date.
Last night your mom and I talked about this blog a bit and she asked me if I was going to print it out when it was done. I may just do that. If you are not born on the 22nd of October but instead the 27th or 28th like some people have told me they think you will be I will keep writing until you are here. No reason to end the project just because you were born a little later.
Last night I felt you kick for the first time. Your mom and I had just finished listening to the Mayoral primary debate on the radio and she called me over to feel you kick. It was the first time it has happened. Not the first time that you have kicked mind you, it just seems like she feels you move then she calls me over, and when I put my hand on her belly you stop. Like somehow you know that I am trying to feel you move too and you will have none of it.
A few weeks ago we played you some lullabies and she said you moved to some of them, and did not to others and it made us wonder if you have an innate sense already of what kind of music you like and what you do not. (takes the whole nature vs nurture thing a step deeper) I think it was on the same night that I blew raspberries on her belly and she said it made you move.
They tell us that at this point in time you can see light through the belly, and that we should play with a flashlight with it. I am not sure it makes sense, but that is what they tell us.
I seriously can't wait for you to get here. There are so many questions I am curious about that I have no way of knowing right now. I wonder when you will have your first freckles (I have little doubt you will have them at some point) What your eye color is, what your hair color is. They can tell us about how long you are and how much you weigh. We are just excited to meet you, when you are ready, no need to rush the next 96 days.
Mom is starting to not fit in her pre-pregnancy clothes and we are just about to start the last trimester so we know you have a ways to grow. They tell me that your brain is developing, so mom has been making sure we have a good breakfast of eggs every morning so you are getting the protein you need. 96 days until we get to meet you. They say being a father changes a man. I am not sure if that is so, but what I do know is that I want little more than to be there to support you when you need help, if you are confused about things or want to know why things are what they are, I will be there for you.
Dad's advise for the day:
I have been doing some of the things I do a long time; Sword being one of them. Some days I feel like I am working really hard to do my best but even at my best it is not 100% natural to me. There are going to be things that you want to do that no matter how hard you want to be the best, they may not come naturally. Don't give up. If it is something you really want, you will get better. That is not to say you will one day be the best at some things, but that does not mean that you give it up. Some things come easier to some people than others. A guy who is 6' 3" is going to have an easier time winning a foot race then someone who is 5'3". If you love it, if it makes you happy, give it what you've got. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, even if you do not always believe in yourself. They may tell you they think you can win and you don't feel it. They may tell you that you are one of the best they know, and you still fail. The thing is this though when it happens you have not let anyone down unless you did not give it all you had that is all that we can expect from anyone. If you are in it to do your best, you do the best you can. Sometimes it means you did not succeed, but if you gave it your all, you can't be disappointed by how you did, and there is always next time.
I will see you in a few months, (I get to catch you and clamp the cord, or so the birth plan says.)
-Dad
Thursday, July 16, 2015
97 days: do things you are passionate about
Day 97:
I have always counted the years by the summers. For me, as it will probably be for you, each year is parts of 2 ages. the first is how old you have turned before, the other part is the new "older you". Since I was born in June and the summers were a break between the old school year and the new one, this always worked for me.
In 1997 I turned 16. It was a summer of taking summer school drivers ed. It was the year I had my wisdom teeth out. It was the summer I wore an old Army trench coat I picked up in a yard sale. It was a year of some fear (Learning to drive a stick shift did not go well in 1997, I learned, but it had some scary moments.) and a year I started to really figure some things out (At least I thought) Going into my Junior year of High school I was nervous, but since joining band I felt like I had something that I was looking forward to and really had a place where I belonged.
That is not to say that I did not have friends before. I had lots of them, but with time the Band room would become home for me. I may not have been the best Trombone player, but I tried and I showed up every day to do it better.
If I could give you a piece of advise it would be find things that you are excited and passionate about and do them. They do not have to be your life's work. Sometimes you do what you need to in order to do the things you enjoy doing, that is a part of life. I joined Band on a whim, something that sounded fun and interesting, what it became for me through most of high school was a place that I belonged. I may not have cared about my other classes but if I was not doing well enough in them Band may have gone away and that was something I did not want to see happen, as a result I did better in school.
Band may not be your thing. I have no idea what it will be but I know you will find the things you love. Always know that your mom and I want to support you in those as much as we can, what matters most to me is that you find them, and look for things you want to try out and do. Some will not be your deal, but you will never know until you give it a good honest go.
They tell me today you are the size of a scallion and weigh 1 2/3rds pounds your mom and I know that you weigh more. When she went to the doctor a few weeks ago they said you were about 1 1/2 pounds so the App on my phone may not just know you yet. Your room is mostly set up, we did it over the 4th of July holiday. It is bright green, and I was so excited to paint it that I started almost 3 hours before your aunt Cara got there so she and Rob could help put in the ceiling fan and paint the room.
I am excited to meet you kid. It is a crazy mixed up world, but hopefully, I can help you navigate through it. Not a lot makes sense and sometimes things seem unfair or slanted. Sometimes the things we want most don't happen, or things may not always go our way, but there are some awesome things to see and do out here so keep on growing, and I will see you soon.
-Dad
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Combat Con Wrap up part 2
I have written about Combat Con already, mostly that was about why it is important and unique. Now, 2 days later, is my final actual review.
I walked into the event unsure.
Last year I did alright in my matches, I met a lot of new people, but this year was a different challenge. I told myself that this time I would and could pass my cutting qualifier, I would go into my matches giving them my all. If nothing else, this time I would win one of them, I knew I could I just needed to actually do it. This time I would help out with things as I could, this time, we would make a name for ourselves somehow in the HEMA community. (Other than the name I had for years as one of those internet whiners) This time I was going to take more classes and get in a lot of free sparring.
Friday was a huge blow to most of it personally. So much so that I had a moment of wanting to give it all up, quit sword entirely, hang up my gear and go home.
During the tournaments I had some of my guys volunteer and we did help make sure there was video of as much as we could film, (Some was not recorded and for that I apologize to those whose matches were missed.) I walked into the cutting qualifier feeling pretty good. It seemed like most everyone in front of me was doing well, so really how hard could it be? The reality was though that I was worried about it, and without the right form I failed my cuts. I passed perhaps one of the 4 I needed to compete in steel, but that was 3 too few. I tried again. This time passing all but the 4th one. That was it, I was out of steel, time to try to clear my mind and prepare for the Synthetic tournament. I was heart broken. I wanted nothing more than to compete where I felt I was capable, this did not feel like it was it it was a tough moment.
When Synthetic began I felt OK, no, it was not where I wanted to be, but I would give it my all. Points wise, I did fine. I even beat one of the guys in my class who depending on the day he wins or I do, but this time, this weekend it was me. I think, though I do not know for complete sure, I would have won all of my matches, may have even moved on were it not for one problem. Double Hits. For those of you not acquainted with the rules it works like this at this event. If you hit your opponent at the same time as they hit you, it is called a double hit. These are counted collectively and per match. In a match if you get 3, the match is over, neither fighter wins. In addition to that each one is points deducted from you the 1st is 1 point, 2nd is 2, etc. At the end of my pools, I had 5 (Total of 15 points that I threw away.) It meant that though I had done well, I had so much against me I did not move on. At the end of the day I placed 11th, not where I wanted but could have been worse I suppose. Jack, my fellow student and one of my dearest friends did however, and went on to win Gold (A first for our club.)
Friday was tough, it was harder for me emotionally than sword had been for awhile. I gave what I had, but I was not smart about it. Friday night my consolation was that in knowing what I did wrong I have a plan moving forward to correct it. (Its all feedback)
Saturday I spent a lot of the day watching the other tournaments, cheering on my guys, observing what they were doing wrong, and what they were doing right. (Notes for future training) I even fought an exhibition 3 touch match against one of the better instructors and did not win, but felt good about it. Saturday evening I took a class (The only one I would take all weekend it turns out), did some sparring with new weapons, and I danced all night and had a great time with my friends from other clubs, it was a blast.
Sunday I spent the whole day watching tournaments. Corner coaching for guys who did not have clubs there with them (even, it turns out against my own club in the Gold match) I watched and video recorded hours of footage some of which I hope I can turn into some learning by observation as to what I an doing, what those who are successful are doing, and how I can bridge the gap. "My Guys" as I called them all weekend, did great. They were members of my club, the other Salt Lake Club, and anyone associated with those connections though I am not our head coach, I could not be prouder of the guys who I consider our students or are by close association near to us. We went to dinner with many of the HEMA groups who were at the event, and I ended up staying up way too late observing and being coached by some of the best guys in the community on ways I can improve my form. It was a truly awesome experience.
My take away from all of it is this: I have some work to do, but there are people in the community who want to see me succeed. Many of those people are not even in my club, but they want me to improve and advance, events like this mean so much in that way. From the time I got to Vegas I was welcomed by people who knew me from the internet, we were all from different places, learning styles, different coaches and different techniques, but while we were there we were one big family. Yes there was drama, there is always drama in a family, there were fun rivalries, but at the end of the day, when the masks are off and the gear back in bags, we are a family. This time I only had 4 from my club, 1 from the other Salt Lake Club, and 1 who used to be in our club, but I had friends who made me feel welcome from so much more than that. I coached against my own guy in finals because to me, supporting everyone no matter where they are from (especially if they do not have support) is so important. During the weekend I had guys in my corner who were not always my own guys, but they did it because they believe I can do it, I can get better, and I can rise to the challenges I have in front of me.
That, is what these events are about. It is not just the fighting, or winning prizes, it is about getting together when we can and supporting each other. It is about bouncing ideas off each other to see what works and what doesn't but ultimately it is about being a community, outside of club lines, we are all a part of that, and it was great to feel that even when I was ready to give up, there were people who believed in me, I have a lot of work to do to move forward, but I know that I am not alone, and I have guys who will help me from miles away because they believe in me, and what I am working to help build.
It was a great weekend and I was glad to be a part of it.
I walked into the event unsure.
Last year I did alright in my matches, I met a lot of new people, but this year was a different challenge. I told myself that this time I would and could pass my cutting qualifier, I would go into my matches giving them my all. If nothing else, this time I would win one of them, I knew I could I just needed to actually do it. This time I would help out with things as I could, this time, we would make a name for ourselves somehow in the HEMA community. (Other than the name I had for years as one of those internet whiners) This time I was going to take more classes and get in a lot of free sparring.
Friday was a huge blow to most of it personally. So much so that I had a moment of wanting to give it all up, quit sword entirely, hang up my gear and go home.
During the tournaments I had some of my guys volunteer and we did help make sure there was video of as much as we could film, (Some was not recorded and for that I apologize to those whose matches were missed.) I walked into the cutting qualifier feeling pretty good. It seemed like most everyone in front of me was doing well, so really how hard could it be? The reality was though that I was worried about it, and without the right form I failed my cuts. I passed perhaps one of the 4 I needed to compete in steel, but that was 3 too few. I tried again. This time passing all but the 4th one. That was it, I was out of steel, time to try to clear my mind and prepare for the Synthetic tournament. I was heart broken. I wanted nothing more than to compete where I felt I was capable, this did not feel like it was it it was a tough moment.
When Synthetic began I felt OK, no, it was not where I wanted to be, but I would give it my all. Points wise, I did fine. I even beat one of the guys in my class who depending on the day he wins or I do, but this time, this weekend it was me. I think, though I do not know for complete sure, I would have won all of my matches, may have even moved on were it not for one problem. Double Hits. For those of you not acquainted with the rules it works like this at this event. If you hit your opponent at the same time as they hit you, it is called a double hit. These are counted collectively and per match. In a match if you get 3, the match is over, neither fighter wins. In addition to that each one is points deducted from you the 1st is 1 point, 2nd is 2, etc. At the end of my pools, I had 5 (Total of 15 points that I threw away.) It meant that though I had done well, I had so much against me I did not move on. At the end of the day I placed 11th, not where I wanted but could have been worse I suppose. Jack, my fellow student and one of my dearest friends did however, and went on to win Gold (A first for our club.)
Friday was tough, it was harder for me emotionally than sword had been for awhile. I gave what I had, but I was not smart about it. Friday night my consolation was that in knowing what I did wrong I have a plan moving forward to correct it. (Its all feedback)
Saturday I spent a lot of the day watching the other tournaments, cheering on my guys, observing what they were doing wrong, and what they were doing right. (Notes for future training) I even fought an exhibition 3 touch match against one of the better instructors and did not win, but felt good about it. Saturday evening I took a class (The only one I would take all weekend it turns out), did some sparring with new weapons, and I danced all night and had a great time with my friends from other clubs, it was a blast.
Sunday I spent the whole day watching tournaments. Corner coaching for guys who did not have clubs there with them (even, it turns out against my own club in the Gold match) I watched and video recorded hours of footage some of which I hope I can turn into some learning by observation as to what I an doing, what those who are successful are doing, and how I can bridge the gap. "My Guys" as I called them all weekend, did great. They were members of my club, the other Salt Lake Club, and anyone associated with those connections though I am not our head coach, I could not be prouder of the guys who I consider our students or are by close association near to us. We went to dinner with many of the HEMA groups who were at the event, and I ended up staying up way too late observing and being coached by some of the best guys in the community on ways I can improve my form. It was a truly awesome experience.
My take away from all of it is this: I have some work to do, but there are people in the community who want to see me succeed. Many of those people are not even in my club, but they want me to improve and advance, events like this mean so much in that way. From the time I got to Vegas I was welcomed by people who knew me from the internet, we were all from different places, learning styles, different coaches and different techniques, but while we were there we were one big family. Yes there was drama, there is always drama in a family, there were fun rivalries, but at the end of the day, when the masks are off and the gear back in bags, we are a family. This time I only had 4 from my club, 1 from the other Salt Lake Club, and 1 who used to be in our club, but I had friends who made me feel welcome from so much more than that. I coached against my own guy in finals because to me, supporting everyone no matter where they are from (especially if they do not have support) is so important. During the weekend I had guys in my corner who were not always my own guys, but they did it because they believe I can do it, I can get better, and I can rise to the challenges I have in front of me.
That, is what these events are about. It is not just the fighting, or winning prizes, it is about getting together when we can and supporting each other. It is about bouncing ideas off each other to see what works and what doesn't but ultimately it is about being a community, outside of club lines, we are all a part of that, and it was great to feel that even when I was ready to give up, there were people who believed in me, I have a lot of work to do to move forward, but I know that I am not alone, and I have guys who will help me from miles away because they believe in me, and what I am working to help build.
It was a great weekend and I was glad to be a part of it.
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