Dydd Sul, pymthegfed, Rhagfyr
2013 Sunday 15th. December 2013
I have just returned from The
Kings Arms, Pentyrch, where we went for lunch to celebrate the anniversary of
the birth of my younger son, Ross, 32 years ago. Sometimes, when I find it difficult to
articulate my feelings, they find some expression in a song. Eleven years after
the birth of Ross’ elder brother, Chris,
I wrote, ‘Christian Luke’s Birthday’, in an effort to express my
feelings of privilege and awe at being present when the lovely Miranda Jane
gave birth to our two sons. I don’t say I was much use, mind.
Music and singing and
song-writing remain a passion of mine. Now, here’s something strange; sometimes
I listen to a recording of one of my songs and think, ‘Duw, that’s a good
song’. Not in self-congratulation; more with a sense that it was nothing to do
with me really, but that I had simply been chosen to bring it into physical
existence. Yes, very strange indeed.
Penblwydd Hapus Ross Geraint
and if YOU share the same birth date, Penblwydd Hapus i ti, hefyd. fi fach.
Dydd Lun, ar bymtheg, Rhagfyr
2013 Monday 16th. December
2013
Ushideshi is a term used to
describe a live-in student of martial arts. The deal was that the student
carried out tasks around the master’s home; cleaning, washing, gardening etc.
In return the student is taught the arts of the master. I recall a story of an
ushideshi who lived with and learned from a master for many years and became
very adept and knowledgeable but did not want to leave his master’s home.
The master perceived that the
student needed to become independent and so he told the student that he must
make a pilgrimage to a distant holy shrine.
This was journey to be made
on foot and of such duration that the student took his family with him. On the
way they encountered and were attacked by a band of brigands.
Although there were six of
them, the subject of our story somehow managed to defeat them, leaving three
dead and two severely incapacitated, whilst the last ran away.
The former ushideshi was
ashamed of his actions and returned to the master. He threw himself at the feet
of the teacher and told of his shame that after all the years of knowledge and
teaching that his master had imparted to him, when this deadly test came, he
forgot everything.
The master helped him to his
feet and quietly said, ‘You were supposed to forget’.
Let us learn what we can from
those with more experience of life who we trust and respect but always remember
that that it is better not to depend on others to sort out our difficulties. To
live a happy life it is necessary to make our own decisions and find our own
way.
Dydd Mawrth, ail ar bymtheg,
Rhagfyr 2013 Tuesday 17th. December
2013
Another
ushideshi story. This is one I have to drag from the depths but hopefully will
preserve the main point.
A young man
who was in awe of a great martial arts teacher finally plucked up enough
courage to ask if he might become an ushideshi and be taught the master’s art.
To his amazement he was readily accepted.
(First lesson:
if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If refused, as long as we are polite, we can
ask again.)
So the young
man went to live with the master who gave him many menial tasks, especially in
the garden, which were hard and tiring. After a week of this, and having been
offered no opportunity to begin studying in martial arts, he complained. The
master gave him no reply other than to give him more jobs. During the following
week, however, the master would step from behind a bush or the darkened corner
of the room and strike him sharply with a cane. This behaviour, as you might
imagine, really messed with his mind and at the end of his second week’s
residence he was a nervous wreck and complained bitterly of this treatment to
his teacher. The master simply gave him a further list of tasks to carry out.
These bizarre events continued but the young man had become very wary. At first
this prevented him from doing his job well, though he was less often surprised
by the old man and increasingly avoided the blows he had previously suffered.
At the end of
the third week he did not complain. However, during the following week he
worked very efficiently and avoided every attack his master planned for him.
It as now that
the teacher said, ‘Now that you have learned humility and perception, we can
begin’.
Hwyl! fi fach.
Dydd Mercher, dau naw,
Rhagfyr 2013 Wednesday 18th. December
2013
It all depends on your point
of view. The old ones are the best.
When two people hold
completely different opinions, why must one be right and the other wrong?
A man sits opposite a woman
across a table. What does the man see? What does the woman see? They both see
something completely different. Another man (or woman) looks through the
window. What they see is completely different from the occupants of the room. I
am so far away that I cannot even tell the gender of the person I see looking
through the window of a house. I have no idea what it is that they see. That’s
enough of the story to demonstrate that four people can see things completely
differently and all be right. It all depends on your point of view. I will
never know what the person at the window sees unless I’m prepared to make the
journey to where they are.
If anyone asks how I am, I
often reply, ‘Weddol, fel arfer, diolch’. I am usually reasonable (I think), or
try to be. So, what happens to me behind the wheel of a motor vehicle?
Suddenly, I’m the best driver in the world and everyone else is an idiot. It is
so easy to make judgements without knowing anything about that stranger who is
driving a bit slower than you, doing less than the speed limit and then turning
off without signalling. Come on! But, hey, maybe the guy has just taken his dog
to the vet’s to be put to sleep. What do I know?
Dydd Iau, bedwaredd ganrif ar
bymtheg, Rhag. 2013 Thursday 19th.
December 2013
I owe a great deal to the
teaching of Kengiro Yoshigasaki Sensei. I first met him when he conducted my
very first Ki and Aikido examination. It is very unusual for a teacher of such
eminence to do so, but the circumstances were a little unusual. It is
inevitable that I will sometimes quote things I have heard him say. However,
let’s remember that it is what I heard and how I interpreted it, so not
necessarily how he intended it to be understood.
An interesting definition (?)
of respect; ‘I understand that I will never understand you’.
Going back to that
examination; the following day I held a door open for Yoshigasaki Sensei as he
arrived for a seminar. I said, ‘Good morning. How are you Sensei?’ He replied
with a question. ‘Are you a doctor?’
So we return to yesterday’s
‘Point of view’ discussion. Never mind different country of origin. Never mind
different culture. None of us have lived the same life and even shared
experiences are seen from our own perspective. Maybe adopting this definition of
respect might make us less likely to assume that we know what is best for other
people.
Dydd Gwener, ugeinfed Rhag. 2013
Friday
20th. December 2013
Red Face. My son Ross once
told me to always assess and never assume, after an assumption of mine led to a
misunderstanding. Here’s another ‘doh!’ story from a seminar with Yoshigasaki
Sensei.
He once taught us to count in
Japanese. We were practising a tsuzuki wasa (kata) with the jo (staff) which
consists of twenty two movements. When we left the mat I wrote these numbers
down before I forgot them: ichi, ni, san, shi etc.
We gathered in a local
hostelry for some much needed refreshing libations and Sensei sat down next to
me. I showed him my list of Japanese numbers from one to twenty two, and asked
him if it was correct. His answer: ‘ I don’t know. It is written in English!’
Yes, too obvious, isn’t it?
Another example of forgetting that others don’t ‘see’ things the same way as
we, in this case, sounds.
Last evening Claire and I
went to the second ‘Village Voices’ event in Ynysybwl, an intimate celebration
of stories, song and smiles. I dusted off a song I wrote is 2002, imaginatively
entitled, ‘Christmas Song’. I had not the foresight to see that as I had
included the year in the lyrics, I would have to rewrite a couple of lines
whenever I sang it in subsequent years. However, I humbly offer these words for
your consideration:
Christmas Song 2013
Here’s another Christmas song
In the year of our Lord two zero one three
Peace on earth, goodwill to all men
I pray to God that this will be
Christian, Hindu, Moslem, Jew
We’re all the same to you
We’re all the same to you
Kings and Queens and
Presidents
Think of the peoples you represent
Take a tip from the shepherds and
The wise men from the orient
Buddhist, Moslem, Hindu, Jew
They all brought gifts to you
They all brought gifts to you
It may be bleak midwinter here
But it’s still Christmas where it’s hot
And while we eat and drink and laugh
Let’s remember those who have not
Black or brown, yellow, white
We all belong to you
We’re all the same to you
Jingle bells or pretty sea shells
Swaying palm tree or mistletoe
We can’t see our colour or creed
When we’re buried beneath the sand or snow
You came into this world to say
We’re all the same to you
We’re all the same to you
© 2013 Ianto Music
Dydd Sadwrn, ugain cyntaf
Rhag. 2013 Saturday 21th.
December 2013
Shw mae! The festive season
is nigh. Party plans are afoot. Now here’s something you could try for a
laugh….literally. My first experience of this nearly ended in the mop bucket
coming out. Admittedly I was quite young and I suppose its probably young
people who would try it out. All that is required is enough space for the
participants to be able to lie on the floor with each successive person’s head
resting on the stomach of the previous member of what eventually becomes a
circle. There was a time when I might have said boy/girl/boy/girl…you know..but
hey, whatever floats your boat, as they say. There is always at least one
person who finds this funny. When they laugh their stomach starts to shake.
This causes the next person’s head to bob up and down, which they usually find
amusing, and so, their stomach starts to convulse also. I’m sure you’ve got the
picture by now. Warning; this can continue at some length and result in aching
stomach muscles the next day. As a precaution I would recommend that there is
at least one person, not participating in the experiment, standing by with a
bucket of cold water, in case things get out of hand. We don’t get much for
free these days, but this is a pretty inexpensive way to acquire a few smiles.
I have no idea why I thought
of this today but I am smiling at the memory. If you really must know, it was
in Wantage, Oxfordshire, when I was seventeen.
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