Kenzan
18th September 2008, 12:57 AM
Hello all,
For almost three years now, to me, this forum has been a source of daily education, laughter, camaraderie and general good times.
As I approach the 38th year of my life, it has become slowly apparent to me that there are certain tasks which must now garner my full attention, including a Kendo-related project which will likely consume the vast majority of my free time for many years to come.
It is for this reason, that I have decided to step away from the forums, and step down as your resident forum clown and troll.
No doubt there will be those who will rejoice in this announcement, but I'd like to think it was not all Tom-foolery and Shenanigans.
In all seriousness, the time has also come for me to focus more serious energies into my life, and especially into my Kendo practice.
Perhaps one of the greatest attributes of we humans is that we are able to move into different phases of life, and re-invent ourselves as we go.
With that, I leave you humbly with one last Essay, taking a bit of a twist on the purposes of Kendo, how they have helped me, and what they mean to me.
This I Believe
“It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.”
I honestly don’t know who said that, but it’s pretty good, so I thought I’d use it.
My name is Kenzan , and I was born in Los Angeles, California.
I am 37 years old.
I am an only child, which made growing up a bit difficult, as when I was naughty,
I had only the family Cat to blame, and since he lacked opposable thumbs, this tended to narrow down his ability to take the rap for most alleged household property damage crimes.
I grew up in Valencia, California, during a time and place when even most middle-class families could afford to own a home. The housing development I grew up in, had the distinction of being only the second architectural planning experiment in California, of what are now commonly known as Track Homes, which are now ubiquitous throughout most of North America.
The wide expanse of land surrounding the neighborhood in which I lived was formerly miles and miles of farmland, hills, ancient oak trees, streams, and grass-
Much of my childhood was spent adventuring, hiking, and generally causing no small degree of havoc on the local wildlife.
Needless, to say, times and progress have rendered the landscape of the area quite a different experience altogether, in the forms of grand shopping facades and open air malls.
It truly is as the writer Thomas Wolfe said, in that ‘You can’t go home again.”
Rather than provide mere bullet points of the chronological events of my life, I would like to relay some of my core beliefs that have helped to shape my life, and some of the philosophical principles that guide me on the path of trying to be a true human being.
I was inspired by the idea from a series of radio essays hosted by Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955, and this concept has recently been revived by the National Public Radio Service. If any of you are familiar with the essays, you know what I am talking about, if not, I highly recommend them, They are also available on NPR’s website., NPR.org
This I also believe:
I believe in the innate goodness of humankind. I think this concept is powerful enough to transcend differing views on ethics, morality, and politics. I believe we are all born with knowing naturally what is right and good, and without judgment. It is society which perhaps beckons us to question truths that stare us right in the face. For an example of this, one has only to watch an infant or a toddler for no less than five minutes.
I believe in the indelible and fiery spirit of imagination and innovation that we all have deep inside of us. The joy that is experienced when it is released in the form of art, music, and poetry. How wondrous are the thoughts and emotions of other sentient beings when they are invoked from the realm of the ether and made manifest into our world for all to partake in. Even if the emotions invoked are negative, they are still emotions none the less, and for that, they are equally as important.
I believe that each and every one of us has unlimited potential inside, and that the best way for us to realize our potential as humans is to first realize and accept the fact that there is nothing we cannot do.
I believe in molding the mind and body through reading the works of others as much as we can, and in the lifelong pursuit of education;
For if it can be said that culture is the food of the heart, then education is like a vast field of wheat from which we draw our mental nourishment.
I believe in cultivating a vigorous spirit, by examining the nature of the human experience, and through continuous training, realizing that from moment to moment, everything we do, and everyone we meet, are teachers and lessons for us.
I believe in striving for improvement in our lives and the lives of others,
to hold in esteem human courtesy and honor, for as to do so is to honor ourselves.
I believe in associating to others with honesty and sincerity, and to forever pursue cultivation as a journey that has no final destination.
In as much as I learn and grow throughout my life, I must realize that as much as I think I know, I actually know almost nothing.
I believe in extensive freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of governments, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, private property, free markets, and a transparent system of government.
I believe in loving my country and my society.
In contributing to the development of culture,
Promoting peace and prosperity where I can, among all peoples.
No matter who we may be, or where we come from,
We all have something to contribute, even if it is just to be alive.
I believe in the power of obstacles, in that as much as I may wish they were not there,
Having obstacles in one’s life are in fact, perhaps one of the only truths that everyone can agree upon which are persistent.
From the moment I drew first breath as an infant, until the day I take my last, only one thing will be certain, in that Where there are obstacles, there is life.
I believe in the equal and fair recognition, treatment and support of all human life, as well some non-sentient life, with my own failing being that nature has unfortunately made some of them quite tasty, but I really am trying to reconcile that most delicious fact.
I believe in the sanctity of the human condition, and the ever present battle against social, ethnic, gender-specific and economic tyranny which presses down on each and every one us, daily but in fact starts with, and whose solutions lies, in the hearts of all of us.
The famous Science-Fiction writer Orson Scott card once wrote:
“To keep my ignorance inside is to embrace it. But each time I show it, I give it the chance to be exposed, captured, and corrected.”
And in everything that I do, as I am in all things, I am here on Earth, to do just that.
In conclusion, My name is Kenzan , and I approve this message.
I may at some later time return to this forum, or from time to time, and will continue to lurk of course. But for the moment, I wish you all the Best of luck in whatever you do, in both your personal lives and in your Kendo careers.
-Yours always,
Kenzan.
I love you all, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
I can be reached at kenzan@sbcglobal dot net.
For you SoCal'ers.
See you at Shiai!
For almost three years now, to me, this forum has been a source of daily education, laughter, camaraderie and general good times.
As I approach the 38th year of my life, it has become slowly apparent to me that there are certain tasks which must now garner my full attention, including a Kendo-related project which will likely consume the vast majority of my free time for many years to come.
It is for this reason, that I have decided to step away from the forums, and step down as your resident forum clown and troll.
No doubt there will be those who will rejoice in this announcement, but I'd like to think it was not all Tom-foolery and Shenanigans.
In all seriousness, the time has also come for me to focus more serious energies into my life, and especially into my Kendo practice.
Perhaps one of the greatest attributes of we humans is that we are able to move into different phases of life, and re-invent ourselves as we go.
With that, I leave you humbly with one last Essay, taking a bit of a twist on the purposes of Kendo, how they have helped me, and what they mean to me.
This I Believe
“It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.”
I honestly don’t know who said that, but it’s pretty good, so I thought I’d use it.
My name is Kenzan , and I was born in Los Angeles, California.
I am 37 years old.
I am an only child, which made growing up a bit difficult, as when I was naughty,
I had only the family Cat to blame, and since he lacked opposable thumbs, this tended to narrow down his ability to take the rap for most alleged household property damage crimes.
I grew up in Valencia, California, during a time and place when even most middle-class families could afford to own a home. The housing development I grew up in, had the distinction of being only the second architectural planning experiment in California, of what are now commonly known as Track Homes, which are now ubiquitous throughout most of North America.
The wide expanse of land surrounding the neighborhood in which I lived was formerly miles and miles of farmland, hills, ancient oak trees, streams, and grass-
Much of my childhood was spent adventuring, hiking, and generally causing no small degree of havoc on the local wildlife.
Needless, to say, times and progress have rendered the landscape of the area quite a different experience altogether, in the forms of grand shopping facades and open air malls.
It truly is as the writer Thomas Wolfe said, in that ‘You can’t go home again.”
Rather than provide mere bullet points of the chronological events of my life, I would like to relay some of my core beliefs that have helped to shape my life, and some of the philosophical principles that guide me on the path of trying to be a true human being.
I was inspired by the idea from a series of radio essays hosted by Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955, and this concept has recently been revived by the National Public Radio Service. If any of you are familiar with the essays, you know what I am talking about, if not, I highly recommend them, They are also available on NPR’s website., NPR.org
This I also believe:
I believe in the innate goodness of humankind. I think this concept is powerful enough to transcend differing views on ethics, morality, and politics. I believe we are all born with knowing naturally what is right and good, and without judgment. It is society which perhaps beckons us to question truths that stare us right in the face. For an example of this, one has only to watch an infant or a toddler for no less than five minutes.
I believe in the indelible and fiery spirit of imagination and innovation that we all have deep inside of us. The joy that is experienced when it is released in the form of art, music, and poetry. How wondrous are the thoughts and emotions of other sentient beings when they are invoked from the realm of the ether and made manifest into our world for all to partake in. Even if the emotions invoked are negative, they are still emotions none the less, and for that, they are equally as important.
I believe that each and every one of us has unlimited potential inside, and that the best way for us to realize our potential as humans is to first realize and accept the fact that there is nothing we cannot do.
I believe in molding the mind and body through reading the works of others as much as we can, and in the lifelong pursuit of education;
For if it can be said that culture is the food of the heart, then education is like a vast field of wheat from which we draw our mental nourishment.
I believe in cultivating a vigorous spirit, by examining the nature of the human experience, and through continuous training, realizing that from moment to moment, everything we do, and everyone we meet, are teachers and lessons for us.
I believe in striving for improvement in our lives and the lives of others,
to hold in esteem human courtesy and honor, for as to do so is to honor ourselves.
I believe in associating to others with honesty and sincerity, and to forever pursue cultivation as a journey that has no final destination.
In as much as I learn and grow throughout my life, I must realize that as much as I think I know, I actually know almost nothing.
I believe in extensive freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of governments, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, private property, free markets, and a transparent system of government.
I believe in loving my country and my society.
In contributing to the development of culture,
Promoting peace and prosperity where I can, among all peoples.
No matter who we may be, or where we come from,
We all have something to contribute, even if it is just to be alive.
I believe in the power of obstacles, in that as much as I may wish they were not there,
Having obstacles in one’s life are in fact, perhaps one of the only truths that everyone can agree upon which are persistent.
From the moment I drew first breath as an infant, until the day I take my last, only one thing will be certain, in that Where there are obstacles, there is life.
I believe in the equal and fair recognition, treatment and support of all human life, as well some non-sentient life, with my own failing being that nature has unfortunately made some of them quite tasty, but I really am trying to reconcile that most delicious fact.
I believe in the sanctity of the human condition, and the ever present battle against social, ethnic, gender-specific and economic tyranny which presses down on each and every one us, daily but in fact starts with, and whose solutions lies, in the hearts of all of us.
The famous Science-Fiction writer Orson Scott card once wrote:
“To keep my ignorance inside is to embrace it. But each time I show it, I give it the chance to be exposed, captured, and corrected.”
And in everything that I do, as I am in all things, I am here on Earth, to do just that.
In conclusion, My name is Kenzan , and I approve this message.
I may at some later time return to this forum, or from time to time, and will continue to lurk of course. But for the moment, I wish you all the Best of luck in whatever you do, in both your personal lives and in your Kendo careers.
-Yours always,
Kenzan.
I love you all, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.
I can be reached at kenzan@sbcglobal dot net.
For you SoCal'ers.
See you at Shiai!