I woke up early this morning to drive from my parents’ house to home, in order to make a Doctor’s appointment. Turns out the appointment is on WEDNESDAY this week, rather than today. Augh. Oh, well.
Afterward, I came home and did tai chi. It was a pretty easy round of the three forms: good breathwork, good form, good speed, and a sense of chi rising in me. I have to say, it feels like I’ve reached a point where the form is coming naturally to me, even if I’m in no position to claim to be a master of this yet. Two years of practice will do that to you. I was talking to someone last week (or just in the week before?) and they asked if I was still doing tai chi. “Yes,” I said, “Two years and eighty-two days.” They were startled by the specificity of the answer, but it helped a little (and I didn’t come across as quite so OCD), to say that I’d lost count for a while, and it might be more.
I haven’t delved into the archive in a while. What was I up to in Year 1? I was wrestling with the problems of the Dweller on the Threshold, and noting that tai chi helped me understand the difference between a physically-sick day and a psychically-or-psychicly sick day. I was also singing Harry Belafonte, and I note that Harry is telling us the same thing in his introduction there that Gordon was making just a few days ago in his new post: it’s important to take the time to listen to one another, and listen for the sake of listening. What was I up to in Year 2? Waiting for the bathroom, apparently, and in a hurry. When I look at the two entries on either side of two years ago, I realize that the Dweller on the Threshold appears to be a common theme at this point in the year: a lot of almost giving-up, not-quite-giving-up, and curiosity about what the ending to this tai chi game will be.
What’s not going well? My effort to do push-ups. I am not strong enough in my arms to do good push-ups yet, and it’s saddening. At this point in this addition to my practice, it’s not clear when I’ll be strong enough to do good push-ups, but it is not likely to be this week, or next. Suggestions or guidelines or whatever that you have found helpful, that would be appreciated!
