Ninja Footsteps

I feel like the odd ball our reading all these blogs. In fact, I felt led to ask the god/goddess if I was even allowed to be an author here because I am a) still in Alaska and b) not going to college. She said yes so here is a taste of my "gap" in the storm of life.

Fortunately this alienation is of my own choosing and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. I get to dictate my own little world, like when I get up, when I eat and how I spend my daylight (it's fading fast!) without worrying about homework or professors. I no longer have to be subjected to the cruel schedule of waking up at 6:30am (unless I want the car before 3 and even then I can take a nape after I get home). I'm finding I like 9:00am just fine. I then have six hours or so (if I get up at 9) to eat, bike, pray, read, write, draw or anything else that suits my fancy. The I'm off to the dojang to spend two and a half to four hours teaching and practicing Tae Kwon Do. After all that I sometimes chase the sunset, go to youth group or take younger friends out for ice cream.

So although this life may seem boring and "slackerish" compared to those abroad (I have no interesting room mates or guy stalker stories) I do still have some stories. For instance there is a deaf girl at my dojang who was once my student and is now student teaching with me. Because of some miscommunications between her and her parents the other day I got to spend an hour with her, a pad of paper and a pencil. It's the first time I've really been able to communicate with her since I first met her two years ago. I already knew she was funny, spunky and tough but I didn't know she was only in eight grade and that she will go to East next year because Diamond does not have a deaf program. Even when the language barrier is up she is still one of my favorite people to playfully poke (even though she can hit really hard) and to harass certain boys with. What a joy it is to be able to make eye contact with someone, smile evilly and know that is all the communication you need. Perhaps the best part is that we will be testing together on the 20th to get our second-degree black belts.

On that note of violence...most of you know that my brother bought me a katana for my eighteenth birthday. It is arguably the prettiest sword I own and it's without a doubt the sharpest. Well I was practicing with it a few days ago (yes I actually have to know how to use it for my black belt testing) and for a brief moment in time forgot how long it was. Thankfully no one was in the house to hear my blade slash a new line in the painting of my map hanging in the living room. It's not noticeable unless you look, really! I'm just glad there was no glass in the picture frame or my misguided handiwork might have been recorded beside the time my brother broke the laundry room light cover with his bow staff...