A funny video, and more of my particular neuroses

[la_belle_laide]

Gacked from Rad Agent:

This made me LOL, hard. It's very clever in that "Satan's Alley" Hollywood satire kinda way. I love stuff that makes fun of other stuff that takes itself too seriously.

Years ago—and I think it was on GAFF, maybe—someone posted a link to a similar satire on the written sex scene and how they all follow the same basic formula, from "Expression of concern!" to "permission to proceed!" I don't even remember the exact lines (and, yeah, I tried googling it,) but it was high-larious. Wish I could find it.

Related to absolutely nothing, Kung Fu tonight was—guess!--awesome. In basics, a new student signed up. She's in her 40's I'd guess, and seems a decent sort. I led the warm-up and I halved it, and she still had a tough time. Then in class (five-star punches,) she continued to struggle and had to stop. Said she felt nauseous and like she would pass out. I remember what that was like. In my second week there, years ago, I had to stop once and sit against the wall. I remember looking at everyone else thinking, "How do they do this? Where does the stamina come from?" I remember what we were doing, too. It was repeated slap-outs, which, dang, even today might get my heart-rate up. But it really makes me realize how far I've come. Even in those weeks where I've put a few pounds back on (like this one,) I can still do the things that I couldn't even consider years ago. Things that most people can't do, or won't attempt. (Could do, if they tried, I think. If they wanted it.)

I hope she sticks with us, because that discovery is fantastic.

Also, because we rule.

I very much like leading the class, and I very much like when I get called on to demonstrate. I am so down with the whole Sije thing. I like ranking high in class; I worked hard for it. And I enjoy helping people, and thinking about the day that they are up there in front of the class demonstrating a technique. If they're like me, they thought at some point that they'd never make it that far.

Idiotically, when new people come in, I feel this absurdly canid need to assert myself. Not as dominant—far from it--but as accepted. "See these people? They are my nakama. Aren't they great? We've fought together. Helped each other. Hurt each other, and laughed about it. Unlike how it was in high school, I have friends. Stay, and you can be one of them. We'll find a place for you." And, "See this Kung Fu style? That's my martial arts heritage. I worked hard to even begin to understand it and I still have a long way to go. This is my honor. Stay, and you can inherit it, too." "Those bags in the corner, with blood streaked on them? Some of that is mine. You can wear gloves if you want, but, stay, and eventually you won't want to." "Oh, and I know where everything is. From equipment to the extra toilet paper. This is my comfort zone. Stay, and it'll be yours, too."

I'm ridiculously archaic and, wow, even fairly primal in my reactions. :/ But at least I admit it. Right?

There is another part of me that "new people in my 'territory'" brings out (and I use that term with my tongue planted in my cheek because truly my only "territory" is my home,) and I'll write about that in a locked post. It's just dumb.

Dumb like my swordtail Kaoru right now, as she swims up and down, up and down, up and then down again, looking at what I believe is her own stupid reflection. I think she's fighting with it? LMAO, who am I to judge? Heh. She looks like an orange slice.

Oh, to do tomorrow after cleaning bird-cages:

Shop for groceries (toothpaste, floss, soap, possibly hair-dye, don't forget!)

Stop to pick up a bottle of red wine.

Stop at Petco to buy a cory and a big yellow snail, and algae wafers.

DO NOT clean fish tanks. The large tank still has Kenshin's medicine in it, and the small one you can't change the water 'till the new guys acclimate.

OH SNAP! HOW COULD I EVEN FORGET THIS?! I got a call this afternoon. Apparently I might be tutoring in neurology! It'd just be for a little bit of extra cash, but every little bit counts! Also, that's really one class that I'd love to tutor. I hope I can fit it into my schedule! Whoop whoop!

Okay! So, more babble, locked.

Comments

[phdeath.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Beautifully, beautifully put. I feel you.

I get my back up whenever new people come in too, especially new women. I know 98% of them won't last, but I make sure no one walks out their first time without having met me and reaping some encouragement.

I am the exercise demonstrator. Seven days out of eight, I love this. That eighth day, I just want to cry in the face of extra reps of mountain climbers, lunges, up-downs, or wall-sits.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

I love how I can always be sure there will be one person, at least, who gets that. :D

Eight days! You are lucky. Because of school and work, I'm only making Kung Fu once a week these days. :/ Next semester, I'll be able to do two.

And, yes, it's about encouragement! I always want new people to know that I started in the same place. And, just like you said, most of them leave.

Do you have a favorite exercise that you like to inflict? For me, it's monkey push-ups, or planks as others call them. I try to halve those for new people, and even then, they can't do them. Those are the ones that I think chase a lot of people away.