Okay, so the changes that have come in 2011 have been real, but they’ve been completely different from the changes I was expecting.
For one thing, this year I’ve become much more involved in music. I’d been writing songs and playing guitars around the house for years, and back in the day I played with a few bands in South Carolina, Alaska and California, but none of that was anything serious, and all of it was a long, long time ago. In April I decided to buy some cheap used gear and get busy looking for a band who needed a bass player (bass is my weapon of choice, although I also play rhythm guitar and a little lead). Long story short, I hooked up with Outlaw Lynn and Who’s Drivin¿, and have been playing out with them.
Additional time in the dojo has not been forthcoming, with the exception of a few garage sessions, mostly in judo. I’ve done almost no aikido since leaving Shudokan last year. I did, however, get into the Shotokan karate class I mentioned below, and I attended a few classes with them, which I loved. But with the new emphasis on the band, time and other resources have been strained and maintaining a consistent class schedule has proved difficult.
I’ve continued my Buddhist practice, but training has gone the way of my martial arts training. Will probably resume that as time permits, but right now it’s just meditation and every now and then some reading or whatever. I’ve cut back my visits to the Shambhala Meditation Center too, but that’s because of what I perceived as a general lack of interest among those who were supposed to be leading the group. Just didn’t seem like an endeavor that was going anywhere (I could be wrong, and frequently am). I might sit with them this Thursday though, if time permits.
In all it’s been a hectic year so far, but I actually enjoyed the first half of 2011. Now it’s time to see what kind of trouble we can get into for the second half.
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