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Now here's another book I should have read long ago, Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" so I should try to find a copy and finally read it!
But just the title reminded me of my trips to Boston, around 1979-1980 if I remember correctly. I was teaching at the local YMCA here, for those of you who remember me mentioning it in earlier entries. I had an assistant, and he had his own assistant, a rugby player, and they loved to "bash" each other. At least that's what they called it, although I don't think we had any flying breakfalls. The only time anyone from that group got injured was the time the rugby player and one of the young women students got bored in my class and snuck off to the (no doors, so don't get any ideas!) wrestling room that had mats and injured each other. I must have afterwards given them the message, "now you see why we do things the way we do..."
But more on that group later, with Larry in charge I knew I could take off for Boston without any worries. My friend from summer camp 1973 liived in Marblehead, and a former student from the Y lived around Central Square, so I had places to stay and people I really wanted to visit and who really wanted me to visit them!
But now I remember another story, "The Wizard of Oz." Not that it directly relates to my going to Boston, but Kanai Sensei was rather mysterious and fascinating, yet I think, besides the excellent Aikido training, it's what he drew out of people. I got a lot
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A one word title. If someone else has used it for his or her blog entry, sorry to "steal it," but then, if I happen to find it later, I will be very interested to read it.
The title just came to me, and reminded me of some concepts. I remember the tide-ebbing jewel and its opposite, though I can't remember the words for that one, from translations of the ancient Japanese books that some call history and some call mythology.
It just occurred to me that it can be quite ordinary, you exert yourself, you are tired, you rest a bit, then you feel better.
When you take ukemi, is it restful while you are in the air? Is it like breathing, when you grab the nage and are thrown, tension and release, is it like the ebb and flow of the ocean?
I like reading the various blogs, the techniques, the personal impressions of people about themselves and other people (so long as it is mostly positive!). Then again if some anonymous error is pointed out, we can learn from that too.
But I also enjoy the poetry and the impressions of nature, and the cultural observations, quotes and references.
I almost remember the title of a book by the Dalai Lama, I think it is called "Ocean of Wisdom." I always thought that was a beautiful title for a book, and a spiritual leader. Plus, I liked the fact that he smiles a lot and stresses the importance of kindness.
But today I wanted to mention boats. Rowboats are nice, you can row to a marshy edge of a pond like the one near our
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10-11-2012 06:21 AM 
