Badass step one

So I've quit my job to focus on becoming a more rounded and interesting person.  Not someone who just has dreams but might actually be able to go about accomplishing a goal.  I've had this plan for a while, this mythical time when in the future I would have all the inclination to read, practice and learn new skills.  To basically, take a level in Badass.

That time is now and yesterday I felt like I really started down that path. 

Two classes that have me already looking forward to next week: Yoga and fencing.  I've done yoga before and thankfully this instructor follows the same idea that my last one did, don't take yourself too seriously. It was a great class of seeing how far you could push your muscles and reminding them that the day in day out work they do is not a tenth of their potential.  Later that night I went to my first fencing lesson.  We're working with rapiers and everyone seems like really great people who are enthused to share their knowledge and have new members join.

So I walked away from my evening feeling energetic and ready to take on the next stage, information.  Today I went to the library and picked up a few book "Arte of Defence: An introduction to the use of the rapier" "Fencer's start-up: A beginner's guide" and "By the Sword: A history of gladiators, musjeteers, samurai, swashbucklers, and Olympic champions"  They seem like really interesting reads and should give me a better understanding of what I'm doing with my blade.

Best part of the yoga/fencing combo?  my muscles don't feel sore at all today.
I hope to keep a consistent log of what I get up to over the next few months... it might even become part of my attempts to improve my writing.

Thursday night -

Last of my yoga classes and wondering if I'm going to go next year. They give me vast amounts of compliments on my flexibility (which I love and is a huge boost to the ego) but I'm not getting anything from the stretches. I'm mostly finding myself feeling as if nothing is a challenge. But that will require more reflection on my own time. I'm here to tell the story of my night.

So I'm sitting there in my sweat pants and old t-shirt and feeling like I'm looking pretty rough around the edges. Then I get a text that turned my night around:

"Hookah. Suits. Now??!"

And I was off. Got showered and changed and got to the hookah lounge around 10. Everyone was looking fantastic and so many hugs came my way. So happy. I spent the evening bouncing from conversation to random statement that would catch my attention for a moment. It really did improve the night to be dressed up. We all seemed that much more focused, interesting and adventurous. It also helped that we were a very large group. I think we might have gotten to a total of 18 or 19 at the largest. We decided that dancing was the thing we needed. Off we all went, loosing people here and there. We eventually got together at the club. Our numbers had dwindled to 12 but we were all ready to dance our asses off. We ended up finding one guy on the dance floor. We all rushed in and joined him. Thus our instant dance party effect took hold. Two girls joined the floor, then another two and more and more. We were dancing with all we had. We looked and felt like an amazing wedding party.

I ran into a friend of mine from elementary and high school and caught up as well as you can in a few lines. "How are you? What are you doing these days? We haven't talked in ages. What is your number now?" All the while my friends keep coming off the floor for drinks, me handing out my community water cup to make sure people stay hydrated. I told her about our dance parties, she said it sounded like fun and then she gave me a huge compliment.

"You look like you're really doing good. It is always good to be around you, you seem to know how to get the most out of life." I was deeply touched. It is an exaggeration for emphasis to be sure but I felt the slight truth to the statement. We were having a lot of fun hanging out and all of us were experiencing a collective joy to the evening. After the 4th or 5th time of my group trying to get me back out on the floor I finally gave in to the pull of the music. After promising my reacquainted friend that we would catch up when she was out of the insanity of finals I dove back into the people.

When the last song had played we headed out. We were rather disappointed with the choice of country song to end the night, so as an alternative Sam and I lead the group in singing Barrett's Privateers outside in the snow. A guy came by and stopped to listen and joined in our circle to dance. Other people stopped and stood around to listen. When finally we finished one of the guys listening, who had started clapping along asked "What channel was that?" Chris in all seriousness, "7." We all dispersed and went home. An excellent end to wonderful night.