Various Doings

[helwen]

Not much excitement on the farm this past week -- which is fine! Weather is warmer than it should be for this time of year, but not a lot we can do about that beyond what we're already doing. I may take advantage of it to do a bit of outdoor work though, since it's here. Plus we need to empty the van and put in the rest of the seating, for carpooling this Saturday. Friends of ours are doing a renewal of wedding vows and Concentus will be singing a couple of songs. Cathedral is lovely but parking is almost nonexistent, so we're meeting at their house and then piling some people into the minivan for the last leg of the trip.

Getting the new computer, which came with a printer as part of the package, has finally necessitated a major re-structuring of the furniture, trying to fit everything. Some stuff is just plain going away though -- we don't have infinite space or portable holes here! On the plus side of the chaos, there's more walking room in the office.

The biggest excitement was Sunday, when three of our kung fu instructors were made black sashes (black belt). Their instructor said that he's made only 10 students black sashes before them, in the 20 years he's been teaching. Two other instructors became brown sashes, as well as two of the advanced students.

These are great honors for the individuals as well as for the school. We had a party to celebrate :)

That said, attaining a black sash is not the end of the journey. Indeed in some ways, it is the beginning.

This is a true thing of all forms of recognition, be it peerages in the SCA, a PhD, or any of the various high rankings in various groups. No matter what a person may have gained some mastery in, yet he or she remains a student. That's life!

Comments

[hyperbard.livejournal.com]

You know, I need to remember that about "it's a beginning, not an ending." I kind of got bonked on the head about it on my wedding day, and yet my mind keeps going to "it's all over now, I'm going any minute..." Your words make sense though!

[helwen.livejournal.com]

:) It's like Ecclesiastes said, only not bitter and depressing :D Rivers flow down to the ocean, then water evaporates, then comes down again as rain or snow... Things are always ending AND always beginning.

I think it's good to have markers along the way though, to take the time out to see where you're at, to celebrate or mourn things as need be, and so on. As long as we don't get fixated on the marker being what it's all about. Hope that made sense....