The Church & Religion

This could be such a huge subject so I will try to keep my focus fairly narrow so this blog entry dosn't turn into a book.

I talked about spirituality in my last post and what it means to me from a non-religious point of view. This time I would like to talk about spirituality from a religious point of view. I am by no means an expert on this so I will just stick to relating through my own experiences.

In my childhood, I was brought up to believe in God. That has been something that has stayed with me all my life. I have had doubts of course. There have been times when things have gone bad and I wondered how this could be allowed to happen. But as I have grown up and my understanding of things has matured, I have come to believe that what we do and what happens is ultimately up to us.


When I was still quite young, my grandmother passed away. At the time, my mother was pregnant. There was a lot of talk about  whether the baby would be a boy or a girl. To me, a 9-year old at the time, I didn't understand why people were even questioning this. The baby would be a girl of course. Grandma had just passed away so it only made sense to me that the baby would be a girl. And, no surprise to me, I have a sister.


Tonight I attended an early Christmas Eve service. When I looked around me, I saw a church that was about half full. There were no more than 10 children and most people there were a fair bit older than me. What does this say about the future of this church and many others? Where does religion fit in our lives these days?


What I heard at the seravice was someone reading from a book that had been read aloud so many times that the words seemed to be robotic and no longer held any feeling or meaning. When I go to church, I want to understand what is going on and I want to feel something about being there - something in my heart. I didn't feel that. I felt very little. The people around me looked like they were there because they felt obligated to be there.


A little over 20 years ago I was fortunate enough to be involved in a church that was like none other I had ever come across. The congregation of this church were giving beyond belief, caring and supportive. There seemed to be no preconceptions about anyone or even any other religion.

Upon joining this congregation, my family and I were welcomed with open arms. Over the course of a few years I became quite involved in the life of the church. I started out as an adult server. I then became responsible for training the student servers. After a few months of doing this, I was asked if I would lead the youth group. A year later, I was honoured to be asked to join the church council and become a chalice bearer.

As I got more and more involved, these people continually amazed me with their caring and giving attitude. Here was a group of people whose primary concern was what they could do to help through outreach to the community and through charitable organizations that were in involved in places like Africa. It seemed to me that as we took care of the things that really mattered, everyday things like building maintenance fell into place with just a bit of extra organization. My time with this church was one of the best experiences of my life.

When I moved to another town quite some distance away, one of the first things I did was to find a church and present a letter from my old church council and offer my services to do whatever I could to help. It seemed at first that this was going to be appreciated. Sadly, it didn't take long before I discovered that the main focus of this church seemed to be the building itself. I also quickly found that new ideas were not welcome - there was a way things had been done for years and there was no good reason to change them now. To top this all off, it was in this church that I first came across the syndrome, "THIS IS THE WAY AND THE ONLY WAY". It was not long after this that I left this church and did not go back.



The one thing that has always bothered me the most has been those people who say that THIS is the way. My question for them has always been, Who told you?? The answers I have gotten when I have gotten any at all have been things like, "How can it be any other way?" or my favourite, "I just know." I would like to know where they get their information from. Again I have to say, "Who told you?"
 
For myself, I have decided that the best policy is to keep an open mind. Over the last few years, through reading, from other people and from personal experience, I have come to believe in a bit of a mixed bag of things. I don't believe that I am one of those people that say, THIS IS THE WAY.


Is this what is happening to religion today? Is relegion dying out? What can be done to draw people back to the church? Maybe people are finding their way in a different way these days rather than the old traditional religions. Maybe people are finding their spirituality in other ways. Maybe they are finding it from within their own hearts. Maybe this is where we should start from in the first place.
 
I guess you can take the topic of religion in just about any direction. I am quite comfortable with where my belief system is right now but I think that I have an open mind about things. I will alway be revisiting this subject many times in my own mind and thinking about what religion means to me.

A Good Foundation

I have been working on my health improvement for just about 2 years now. For the last year of this little journey, I have been taking Karate.

Initially I was looking at this as nothing more that a way to improve my fitness. I have noticed that as the last year has gone by, I have been working harder and harder at Karate. I have also been doing a fair bit of reading. Not just about karate, but the martial arts in general.

There are many references to the SPIRITUAL side of this art form. When I say spiritual, I don’t mean religious. I have always believed that the Martial Arts did involve the body and mind but did not really understand just what that meant or how deep the meaning could be.

For the last couple of weeks I have noticed or more like felt a change in my thought processes involved when I am working out or practicing. I knew it was there but I really didn’t know what IT was until this week.

In the past Sensei has asked me to lead the class through warm-up. I was honoured and happy to do this but I felt very self contous and awkward doing it. I think Sensei noticed this. It has been a while but this past Monday Sensei again asked me to lead the class through warm-ups. This time was very different.

I felt no anxiety or self contousness at all. I led the class through a routine that is very familiar to me because it was basically what I do at home almost every day. I shared some of my thoughts and reasons for certain exercises with the class as we went. It felt, I don’t know just how to put it, I would say comfortable and good. I enjoyed sharing this with my classmates and it charged me up even more.

Following the warm-up routine Sensei continued with kata practice. This time I contusly noticed that I was able to apply more of the correction I have been given and also able to make my movements feel a little smoother.

I have been thinking about this rather unexpected process or feeling for the past couple of days and I believe I know what it is. It is the SPIRITUAL side of things. I have noticed that my workouts have become a form of meditation for me. I just let my mind grow calm and my body stretch and work. Kata is becoming the same way. I still concentrate very hard on it as I work on improvements, but sometimes, I just do it. I let it happen and flow through me. Thinking about it now, I realize that when I am doing this with my regular workout or my katas I seem to have almost found a trance like state of mind. It also seems that the harder I work, the deeper this state becomes.

I have also noticed that in my day to day life, things have changed. I had suffered a number of disappointments at work and it was getting me. I was at the point where I was having trouble getting myself into work and getting through the day. I have always been a bit closed minded about some things and I have always had trouble walking away, even if for just a moment, something that I was engaged in because I know if I allowed myself to be distracted, I would have trouble getting re-engaged.

Now, a lot of this has just gone away. I look forward to the challenges of everyday life these days. This includes work. My wife has also told me that she has noticed a considerable change in my general attitude. I think I am no to something.

I only now started my journey. I have built my foundation. The cement is still wet but it will be a good strong foundation. There is many years of building ahead of me but now I can see with my whole self that one day my structure will be ready. I will open the door and step through into a whole new world of learning and discoveries.

Computers

My computer failed on me last week. It was at least 6 years old and finally decided that it was time to quit. Because of this, I am a bit later than planned publishing this post. I have a new machine now and am doing battle with it trying to get everything running the way I want it to. This has been a long and tedious struggle but I think I am winning.

This has made me think about our dependence on computers these days. Think of it for a minute. A typical working day, a computer chip in my alarm clock tells me when to get up, the computer chip in the microwave cooks my breakfast, the computer in my car tells it to start, when I get to work, I log in on the computer to check to see what the computer has for me to do that day, I head out to the production line to find the operators sitting in chairs in the control room. I ask them why the line isn’t running and they tell me it is because the computer is down. At the end of the day, I check the computer to set up for my next day’s work… Then we all go around the circle again.

Last week, when I found myself sitting in front of my home computer staring at a frozen screen, I was lost. My hard drive was shot. I was desperate to get it running again. My wife walked into the room to find me leaning back in my desk chair, holding my computer (notebook) over my head, shaking it and tapping on the bottom. It was returning my treatment of it by making some wild vibrating noise every once in a while, as if to tease me. Here I am, but you can’t have me and I am not going to work for you. As it turns out, I was fairly well prepared for this and had most of my stuff backed up on an external hard drive. After leaving the notebook to sit for a few days, it did start up and I managed to get the rest of my files off of it before it made one last rasping noise of distress and gave up.

At work, I am often the go-to guy in our department when someone has computer issues. I am fairly familiar with computers. Totally self-taught. I have this need to figure out how things work. Along with this, I have a real problem with things I can’t get to work. More than once I have found myself looking into the blank screen of a computer, holding a long flat-head screwdriver in my hand and threatening it (in my own mind) with inserting that screwdriver into its SD slot as far as I can and twisting it!

We have come to depend so much on computers. We sometimes come close to giving them a human persona. We talk to them, we threaten them, we talk about them like they are another person. We even depend on them. This reminds me of a set of books called Dune. In this story, there is an ultimate struggle of man against computer. The computers become so powerful that they take over from humankind and eventually treat them (us) as little more than pets. I don’t think we are anywhere near this dilemma, at least I hope not.

I have to admit that I don’t know what I would do without the computer. It has allowed me time to be able to do things like write this blog and to work with the photos I have taken on my digital camera. The list goes on and on. But there is a trap here that I have seen people (including myself) fall into.

I need to be able to push away from the machine and exert my own muscles, get up and walk around. Spend time with my wife (if she remembers who I am when I  come crawling out of my office with blood shot eyes and that big screwdriver).

Don’t get lost in the machine. It will take hold of you hang on as hard as it can, if you let it.

 

 

Christmas

I sometimes have to wonder what has happened to this holiday. I am sitting here on a November weeknight, it is getting late and I should be in bed. Instead, here I sit writing this post because, once again, I am dreading the approach of the holiday.

It isn't like that all the time and I remember when it was the best time of  the year. So much fun, so much food, and yes, so many toys. Now, I sometimes think, so much running around, so many people, SO much food and of course, so much money to be spent.

It is not my intention at all to sound like a Scrooge but I have to say, do we really know what the whole thing is about any more? We spend so much time and money running around trying to guess what someone might like or who would want what to eat. And then there is the malls!! Sometimes I can't believe what a madhouse they can be.

People are scurrying off in one direction or another with their heads down just trying to make it through the crowds and get back home. Young children are stressed and anxious because of all the hustle and bustle around them and they react to the stress their parents are showing. The whole thing seems to be building to some kind of catastrophic crescendo of Christmas craziness.

Then, after all that, you may find yourself scurrying along with the rest of the crowd, head down, lost in your own purpose, just trying to getting done and out of  there, when you accidentally bump into a stranger. With a bit of a shock you look up and say, excuse me, to be greeted by a smiling face. This smiling face replies, "Of course, no problem at all and Merry Christmas." For a moment you pause. What are you supposed to say to that??

Those people are out there. Someone who still remembers what it is all about. They are still out there with the rest of us. Running around trying to finish things up for the holidays, but they have this different, almost aura about them. They are moving just as quickly as you and I are, but they have a smile!

I think that sometimes we don't see too many of these people because they do have it figured out. They know that the holidays are meant to be about people and families,  including the extended ones. The gifts they have bought may be simple, such as a small book of poems or a short story or even a hand-made card with a message from the heart inside of it for someone very special.

Doesn't it sound a bit ironic? A simple hand-made card. How could this be for someone special? But it is. It something that someone has put real thought and love into. Something personal that truly says, I am thinking about you.

This is not a concept that would go over with too many children these days. We are just as guilty as the commercial world is in preparing them to expect to have money spent on them for the latest and greatest game, or doll, or toy. We have jumped in with both feet and welcomed the mall Santa Claus, with the teenager dressed as an elf standing beside Santa looking bored and embarrassed, hoping none of their friends see them in green tights. So maybe we deserve what we get when it comes to Christmas.

Maybe not this year and maybe not even next year, but think about that simple Christmas when you get together with friends and family and enjoy their company. Share strories of the good old days and maybe exchange a couple of hand-made cards.

As for me, I keep suggesting that we grab a flight to a warm and sunny place called Cane Garden Bay where we could dangle our toes in the surf and sip on the world's best margarita, watch the fishing boats head out and just leave the rest behind. Of course my daughter quickly pipes up and says I'M IN!!

So maybe as a start, the next time someone bumps into you in the mall with that blank look on their face that says get me out of here, smile and wish them a merry Christmas. Believe me, it will make you feel just as good. Who knows, it could catch on.

Merry Christmas!

What does it take to inspire you?

For me, I am generally a pretty self-motivated type of person, sometimes even to the point of this being a fault. I have been known to get up such a head of steam that it can be like a runaway train. Get on or get out of the way. There is a place for this, but not always.

Even with this type of general attitude, I find it very helpful to have something or someone inspire me. What I mean by inspire is, to put it in simple terms, to be motivated to do better. This can apply to work, my karate, a project I am working on at home and so many other things I do everyday.

To give you an example from work, I was asked to have a look at a process in a machine centre to see how material was being handled, from loading to unloading. I was asked to see if I could come up with a way to improve it. One of the areas of specialty I have at my job is overhead lifting equipment. After being given the time to watch and learn the process and design an improved method of handling the material, I went to work on the design.

I was inspired by the opportunity to improve the working method that my fellow employees had to use that was overly complicated and time consuming. I had an opportunity to make their job easier and less stressful. I had the chance to research lifting equipment, and to work with a contractor that I have a lot of respect for because of their experience and honesty. The other thing I found inspiring was just the fact that it was something a bit different from the normal. I love the inventing side of my work.

On top of having the chance to do something I love doing, I had a chance to work with a co-worker I have a lot of respect for. This is someone who knows how to cut through the political nonsense to get the job moving and who is not afraid to make a decision. On top of that, this co-worker is a cancer survivor.

At our dojo the other day, I watched Sensei Laurie go through one of the basic katas to demonstrate it. I watched her every move very, very closely (as I always do). I was struck (as I aways am) by how fluid and yet powerful her every move is, right down to the way she positions her fingers. This is a person who not long ago was seriously injured in a car accident. She was sitting in the back seat of a car when when it was involved in a crash. When I asked Sensei about the accident, this is what she shared with me:

The accident occurred in Feb '07. We were travelling with a friend when our car was struck head on by a drunk driver. I was in hospital for 3 weeks followed by several months of physio and rehab. My left elbow was badly broken, there were some more minor internal injuries but my back was also severely injured resulting in a lengthy major surgery, and fusion of a couple of vertebrae.

I credit my karate training with my recovery - both in duration and depth. My physical conditioning most likely resulted in me having less serious injury, but my mental/spiritual conditioning allowed me to cope with the aftermath in a very positive way. I was very fortunate to have had quick and expert medical attention and such great support from family and friends who rallied to help our family in so many ways for an extended period of time.

In hospital, Sensei Mike Swywk introduced me to a book called "Beyond the Known". The title alone helps to indicate some of the content, but it was a book that I read several times. I was able to find inspiration not only during my recovery but also as I continued to cope with dojo challenges not long after that. 

It is fascinating to read of a student's observations of my kata. I don't give much thought to my injuries any more. They are what they are. My current and future training have restrictions, as the aging process also begins to figure in to the scheme of things - but everybody has challenges in their life. I like to look beyond what happened - feel grateful that it turned out as well as it did - and move on. If my positive outlook and ability to continue to do what I love, can be an inspiration to someone facing life challenges, then I am happy to share my experience.


She has pins and screws in one of her arms and still has some limitation to the movement of this arm. Even with this, she got back to karate, worked hard at it and despite the injuries she suffered, she is now a Third Dan Black Belt and my Sensei

Inspiration can sometimes come from a source some people might consider shallow, like a good movie. The one that most immediately comes to mind for me is the movie,  "Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World." In this movie, Russell Crowe plays the part of a captain of a tall ship in the British navy. He is a brilliant tactician, yet prone to human frailties and mistakes. Here is a person that takes control and against all odds, outwits his opponent, and at the same time,

Inspiration can come from the simplest things, such as a picture or painting, watching an eagle soar overhead or a kite dancing in the breeze over the ocean. For me it can come from music, watching someone playing an instrument, creating this beautiful sound from an inanimate object. What a gift to be able to do this thing and share it with other people. I guess thinking about it, the ability and willingness to share one's gift combined with the ability to receive and appreciate this gift can be so inspiring and fulfilling at the same time.

Inspiration can also come from your surroundings. I am working on this post while sitting at the Fall River Restaurant. The food, whenever possible, is local and organic. The selection of beer and wine is a fine complement to the style of this restaurant, and owners Paul and Michele and their staff have always been friendly and accommodating. This is a small out-of-the-way location that was at one time an old gas station. Yet they have still made it work, and always make you feel welcome. www.fallriverinc.com  
As I sit here in the pub enjoying pleasant music, a good beer, a very nice quiche and a view of the setting sun, I come to realize that inspiration can only be there if you have an open mind and a willing heart. It is key not to block yourself off to your surroundings. Be open to something new and inspirational.

can be compassionate and understanding to his friend and his crew.

Aging

know I am coming a bit late to karate, but how late is too late?   For pretty much all of my younger days, I was never really that interested in athletics. I felt a bit intimidated by my very athletic older brother and (foolishly) never felt I could compete with him. He never made me feel like I had to compete, and as a matter of fact, he alway encouraged me any time I did take up any sport. But it just wasn't in me.  Now, here I am, 54 years old and pushing myself to the edge of my endurance. I have been working on my own fitness program for 2 years now. This summer, looking for something else physical to add to my growing portfolio of physical activities, I started running. I have worked up to do a 5K run at least twice a week. This is along with two evenings a week at karate and every other Saturday as well. I have also managed three 10K runs. I don't think that's too bad for somebody my age.  It still seems kind of weird to me that at my age, I am getting hooked on the adrenaline rush from exercise. What's up with that!!  I have for years been pretending that I was going to do something about my worsening physical condition. I did the classic things like buy exercise equipment that did little else but gather dust. Whenever I had to see my doctor, I would tell him that I was about to start on an exercise program and of course never did, said I was going to cut back on foods that were not good for me... and so on.

Now, our basement looks like a gym. The Bowflex is still there, we are on our second treadmill, there is a combination bike/rowing machine, dumbbells and a number of other things. My workshop also doubles as a home dojo. And there is not a speck of dust on any of it.

I have noticed that sometimes, because of my age, when I walk into something new, some people give me the feeling that they are threatened by my presence. I believe that people may get the impression that because I am older, they think that I may be there to express some kind of dominance or looking for control. I'm not sure just how to express this.

I have however found that after a bit of time and showing that I am there to learn from everyone who will teach me, this uneasiness disappears. Another lesson I have learned as I continue to grow: show that you are willing to learn.

I guess what I am trying to say is that you don't need to and shouldn't just wait to grow old and expect it to happen, because then it will. Yes, I have found that my joints tend to get sore if I run when it's cold. I don't have the flexibility that I may have had if I were doing this at a younger age. I am very conscious of how my heart is performing when I am exercising.
It's not just the body, you need to keep your mind working and sharp. I am doing this by trying to learn a little bit of Japanese. There are katas to learn. Some of these (most) are complicated and have much detail to remember and practice, and practice and practice. None of this comes easily. It takes a huge commitment. Willingness to try things you may not have ever considered or even thought possible for yourself. In the end, you may find, you can.

I think that one of the biggest rewards of being able to grow older and still be healthy was being able to go for a run with my daughter.  Becky was home a few days ago for a visit. After this particular run, we were talking about things that have been going on in our lives. During this discussion, I mentioned that I hoped I would be around a long time so we could continue to have these kinds of  talks. Becky told me that I was just going to have to live to 110.

It may seem a bit reversed, but she is a real inspiration to me when it comes to being fit. She was the one that told me about the high you can get from working out. I thought she was just kidding me. Apparently not.

I feel so fortunate to have this kind of relationship with my kids. I guess I will just have to do everything I can to meet my daughter's expectations. Watching my kids grow into adulthood and be happy in their lives, and in a small way, to be able to share in their lives, is the most gratifing thing I can think of.

With out a doubt, we all have to adapt as our bodies change for whatever reason. I contacted Dr. Forrest Morgan, the author of Living The Martial Way, and asked him if he was still active in the Martial Arts. This is his response:

Due to degenerative arthritis in my feet and knees, I no longer actively train in the martial arts. I still live a warrior lifestyle according to the principles I espoused in LTMW—I keep myself physically fit and continue to serve the nation through strategy research at RAND and teaching the next generation of national security professionals at the University of Pittsburgh—but I no longer strap on a belt and step on the dojo floor.
Warm regards,

Forrest

Forrest E. Morgan, Ph.D.
Senior Political Scientist
RAND Corporation

Even as we have to change what we do because we have to adapt to changes in how our body works, there is more than one way to continue to "live the martial way."

Now I am looking forward to my retirement when Sara and I will have time to participate and share in some of the many things we have talked about doing when we retire.

We both want to travel to exotic destinations. I hope to be able to devote more time to my photography and videography. There are many other activities we plan to work on, so I guess we are just going to have to keep working on aging in as healthy a manner as we can.

So, stay out there and keep moving. Every day is a gift and we need to do the best we can with that gift.

Remember

I had a dream last night. The nightmare of nightmares. In my dream, I woke up in the dark of night from a rather restless sleep to find it had started. The Third World War. I jumped out of bed and threw open the curtains to see the glow of what used to be Ottawa in the distance. It was nuclear. With that, I jerked myself awake for real.

What if… What would we do?  How would we react as individuals and as a race? HOW could this happen?

The truth is, we have been close before. Maybe closer than most people are aware, or choose to remember. Not  remembering is the trap. If we choose to forget war, forget about the people on all sides who gave up their livelihood or even their lives to go to war, that is when it can happen again.

There are no more Canadian veterans left from the First World War and the numbers of those remaining from the Second World War are dwindling fast. It is these world wars that most people seem to think of first on Remembrance Day. But tragically, war did not start with the first world war, and it did not end with the second. No matter how many times we see how destructive war is, it happens again and again.

Sometimes, it is unavoidable when you have to stop a tyrant or to put an end to unimaginable suffering inflicted on a people. Sometimes, people go to war just for the lust of power.

Worse yet, over the course of human history, many many people have gone to war in the name of their God. I believe that if God were to come back and see the killing that has been done in His/Her name, there would be the devil to pay.

We need to remember all of our veterans. Our country may not actually be at war, but we have peacekeepers in the field, we have troops on the ground in Afghanistan. Our Armed Forces are out there, putting their lives on the line every day in the name of peace.

So, what would you do? This was a subject at our last karate class just before Remembrance Day. Sensie Laurie pointed out that because of our training, it could well fall to us to step up and help. We are trained at a higher level than the general public. We are better conditioned and are trained to function under stress. I hope it never comes to that, but if it does, what would you do?

Always remember those that did step in, those that made the ultimate sacrifice, and pray for them.

Grading

I never know quite what to expect when we come to a class where I know we are going to be grading. I feel a bit nervous and a bit concerned that I will not be able to perform as I would like to. I know the class is going to be very physical. But that in no way puts me off. If anything, the idea of an extreme workout actually excites me, being a bit of a workout junkie.

I also know that there will be knowledge questions. This is one thing that does always make me a bit nervous. I don't really understand this part. I have done some fairly extensive research into the origins of the Martial Arts. I find it quite a fascinating topic, yet when it comes down to being asked dates and names when in the middle of a workout, I either go stupid or just go blank.

I think I know part of the reason for this. I tend to pour so much into the physical part of the class that my mind refuses to engage past the need to drive my muscles. But this is what karate is. Body and mind. I think this is telling me that maybe I need to dial back a bit in order to keep my mind engaged as well as my body. I can do that.

I am a person who believes that you learn from your mistakes. If you are not making mistakes in life, I would suggest you get up off of the couch and do something. Mistakes are going to happen in everyday life. We need to recognize this and make use of it. In my kata, I know I make mistakes. I look forward to getting corrections so I can learn, move forward and improve what I am doing.

One of the things I have a problem with is being too stiff or robot-like during my kata. Sensei suggested that this is because I may be trying too hard to apply power all the way through every movement. I am sure she is right. Trying to picture myself going through my kata, I feel the pressure I am putting into everything. I am a fairly big and strong guy for my age. I feel driven to embody this in my kata. I do need to work on this, and I have a plan.

I watched Derek, our newest member to the adult class, earn his stripe last night. (Great job, Derek!) This is a young man who has been with us for just a few weeks and it’s easy to see that he cares very much about what he is doing in every aspect when he is at the dojo. It’s great to see people come in and work hard at it. I have no doubt that Derek has been practicing quite a bit.

We were at the dojo early enough to see some of the grading from the junior class as well. I enjoy watching our members grade. It’s like a rite of passage and it is a privilege to be there to watch members be successful and move forward. I have taken some pictures of the gradings and I will have them posted on my Flickr page very shortly. Check them out at http://www.flickr.com/photos/54291440@N08/

GREAT JOB, EVERYONE!!

Footnote to Honour

In my blog entry about honour I referred to the book Living the Martial Way. This book has held quite a bit of meaning to me. Since the book was written 1992, I wondered how well it held up to time. I thought, who better to ask than Dr. Forrest Morgan, the author. The following is a excerpt from the message I sent to Dr. Morgan:

As part of my getting to understand this practice [karate], I have been doing a bit of reading about the history of the art form and the deeper meaning of it. One of the books I have been reading is Living the Martial Way. I have been going through it very slowly in order to get as much understanding from it as I can. I also have been working at comparing and applying it to real life. The form of Karate I am studying is Okinawa Goju-Ryu.

I have found the chapter dealing with honour very thought-provoking. I have always believed that living an honorable life is the only way and I have done my best to do this. Strangely enough, the one thing I have never done is really look closely at what honour means.  I have found your book very insightful in this, and in many other ways.

The world is changing around us these days at what seems a remarkable rate. I believe quite a bit of this can be attributed to the newer and faster forms of communication, mainly web-based. I was wondering if, in view of all these changes, do you feel like your views are still current?

Maybe I am a bit of a throwback to older times, but personally I believe that the idea of honour and respect is a thing that is slipping away. Many people I know don't seem to understand the concept and believe it is something that is outdated just by the virtue of the times we live in. I very much disagree with this point of view. If anything, I believe that because of the changing times, the concept of honour is even more relevant. I would have to suggest that if more people understood and applied a proper code of honour, we would live in a much safer and happier world.

Dr. Morgan's response:

I am happy to hear you are undertaking a serious study of karate and that you’ve found Living the Martial Way helpful in that effort. To answer your questions, yes the world seems to be changing at an ever increasing rate. Many people appear to be abandoning the principles of honor; but then, I think every generation, as it ages, believes that the younger generation is less honorable and less disciplined and hardworking than they were at the same age. I am happy to say that my current profession, national security policy analysis (I’ve been retired from the Air Force for about eight years now), brings me into contact with a lot of honorable people, young and old, military and civilian.

In any event, I wholeheartedly agree with your statement, “because of the changing times, the concept of honour is even more relevant. I would have to suggest that if more people understood and applied a proper code of honour, we would live in a much safer and happier world."  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I am very grateful to Dr. Morgan for taking the time to respond to my email.

Honour

I have been involved in karate at Sukura Martial Arts Academy for just about ten months now. At my last training night, Sensei Laurie invited me and a number of other students to grade. I felt extremely honoured to be asked. I have to also admit to a bit of pride. This started me thinking, just what does honour mean? I have always felt that honour is a guiding principle in my life but what does this word mean in today's society? Do we really know?

These days, with influences of Hollywood, comic books and other media forms, I believe we have lost the true meaning of the word. Today, all too often, people believe revenge is honour. The fact is that revenge is about as far away from honour as you can get.

When you look up the meaning of the word, even some dictionaries aren't clear. You find things like: The state of being honoured; the quality of being honourable. What does that mean???

This word has been badly used and abused. People have been lead to war and much worse in the name of honour. Sometime people will follow leaders that they believe are honourable but are after nothing more than power over their fellow man. Be sure you understand what you are being lead into before you follow.

Sometimes, if you pay attention to your own feelings, you will know almost instantly if the person you are talking to is honourable. They will give you a feeling of trust and peace. Remember, an honourable person is not out to hurt. Revenge or vengeance is not the way of honour.

In my efforts to learn more about Martial Arts in the present day of and its origins, I have been reading a book called Living The Martial Way by Dr. Forrest Morgan. I have been very impressed with the entire book but I did find particularly interesting, his views on honour. I looked up Dr. Morgan's bio from his current employer to see what it was that gave him this kind of instight. I was very impressed. This is an excerpt from his biography:

Forrest Morgan is a senior political scientist working in RAND Corporation. Prior to joining RAND in January 2003, Dr. Morgan served a 27-year career in the U.S. Air Force. Since coming to RAND, Dr. Morgan has done strategy and doctrine research examining such issues as assessing performance of the Air Force and Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As you can tell, Dr. Morgan has quite a bit of experience with military-related issues. Now granted, his book Living The Martial Way may seem overly military from first read, but give it a chance to sink in and look at how it actually does apply to real life. This book, I believe, will give you a real look at what honour means along with a very interesting view into the Martial Arts.

To me, honour is being honest, trustworthy and dependable. An honourable person is not someone who will look for vengence but will believe in the law. A person who knows compasion and understanding. A person who can be trusted and will live up to that trust. An honorable person is lead by a deep sense of decency and morality.

There will always be those in power who know how to use and pervert honour like Russell Williams, so don't be fooled. This was a man people looked up to for guidance and leadership, yet look at what he actually turned out to be. Williams was a Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and Commander of CFB Trenton. Understand what honour is for yourself. Then add it to your own life.

Just imagine what a different place the world would be today if people understood the true meaning of honour.

For My Mother

I was going through some of my old documents trying to make room on my computer when I cam across this story I wrote about my Mother very shortly after she passed away. She was an amazing woman who inspired everyone she came in contact with.

I have often heard people talk about how things were not that great when they were growing up. They talk about a lack of communication with their parents and even with their siblings. When my Mother died, one of the most common things I heard was, what would you have said to your Mother or Father if you had had the time. Or, I never was understood by them so they never really got what I was about anyway.

I never felt this myself. When we needed to talk, we did. She always listened to what I had to say and I always felt heard. I grew up thinking that this was what everyone had. When I realized that this was not the case, I felt very sorry for those who had not experienced this.

In our family, Family came FIRST and Family is everything. The key word here of course is Family. Who do you consider this to be? It is not just blood. Look around and consider what Family means. Anyway, here is the story I was telling you about before I got off track.

For My Mother

It was not that long ago that my mother gave me a sweatshirt as a gift. I don’t really remember just what the occasion was and it doesn’t really matter.

When I first looked at it, I thought, that’s not really my colour but because it from my Mother, I immediately put it on anyway. I distinctly remember my first thought upon donning the sweatshirt. "This feels so nice and warm." That night I took the sweatshirt off, looked at it and thought, "This is not really my colour." I put it away and forgot about it for next month or so.

It was winter and a very cold night. I was going through my dresser looking for something warm to put on when I came across this sweatshirt. I looked at it and thought, "That’s not really my colour." It was cold, I was at home and I wanted something warm so I thought, who cares, and I pulled the sweatshirt on over my head. As soon as it settled into place my first thought was, "This feels so nice and warm." It was like my Mother had reached out to embrace me and keep me warm and safe. At that moment I thought of my Mother and how much I missed her so I picked up the phone and gave her a call. This was nothing unusual for me. I would call about every two weeks to chat with both Mom and Dad. If I left it for any longer, my Mother would call me. It always made me feel good to hear their voices. A few years have passed since I got that sweatshirt. I love it very much and wear it often.

This past September my Mother passed away. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her and how much I love her. Whenever I feel the need to have my Mom’s embracing arms around me, I put on my sweatshirt. It gets worn quite a lot. One day the sweatshirt will fade and wear out but the love I have for her and the love I knew she had for me and all of her family will never fade away.

I miss you Mom and I love you with all my heart.

Your Son.