Author: Shawn

I am a practitioner of the martial arts and student of the Buddhist faith. I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since I was 4 years old and have been fighting the uphill battle it includes ever since. I enjoy fitness and health and looking for new ways to improve both, as well as examining the many questions of life. Although I have no formal medical training, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding health, Diabetes, martial arts as well as Buddhism and philosophy. My goal is to share this information with the world, and perhaps provide some sarcastic humour along the way. Welcome!

Supplementation, Part Quatre…

As I explained the last time I posted this, this is my fourth time posting this material and no, I’m not being lazy. I consider the consumption of vitamins and minerals to be an important part of maintaining one’s health. It’s no surprise that modern nutrition is sorely lacking in most people and with every reposting of this material, I’m reminded of the importance of taking a steady multivitamin on a daily basis; a fact my doctors keep reminding me, as well. With the colder weather hitting our area (we’ve had frost on a couple of mornings, already) and everyone’s immune system taking a hit, vitamins and supplementation are very important. So, bearing in mind that I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, here’s what I posted all the way back in June of 2019. Enjoy!

One of the key reasons behind the consumption of food is to obtain carbohydrates for energy. The human body requires energy to carry on normal functions and, well… stay alive! But what else do we get from the food we eat? A proper diet will also include a number of vitamins and minerals that we require to maintain proper health, growth and energy levels within the body. We’ve all heard about getting enough vitamins from a young age. I remember getting my Flintstones vitamin everyday as a kid.

But if you’re like most people, you’re likely wondering what these vitamins are for and what they do. My goal is to cover off the main ones here:

Vitamin A: This is an all-around vitamin that provides a number of functions including but not limited to the proper health of various bodily functions, tissues and helps to fight chronic disease and is known to be good for the eyes.

Vitamin B: This one is a bit complicated, as there is a large grouping of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that fall under the “B” category. In general, B-vitamins are used for energy production, immune function and absorbing iron. Some them include B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B9 (folate) and B12. There are a few more that I can’t recall, but B12 is considered amongst one of the most important of vitamins overall because it helps you turn food into energy.

Vitamin C: At some points, this one has been referred to as the sunshine vitamin. I’m thinking that’s mostly because people’s main source of Vitamin C is from citrus fruits. But this vitamin also helps with iron absorption, immune function and is a natural antioxidant that helps with the elimination of free radicals. Eating citrus fruits are also what sailors used to eat on long voyages to prevent scurvy.

Vitamin D: This vitamin helps with the strengthening of bones and teeth. Our bodies are designed to self-generate this vitamin naturally through exposure to sunlight, but obviously that needs to be done in small doses. Modern life has created an environment where more people spend their time indoors, away from the sun. So supplementation becomes important.

Vitamin E: A pretty straight forward vitamin, this one helps with proper blood circulation and clear skin.

Vitamin K: This vitamin is essential for blood-clotting. In order words, if you’re deficient in this vitamin, small cuts or injuries can cause excessive bleeding that can become dangerous.

Folic Acid: We hear people speak about this one as being necessary during pregnancy. And they would be correct! Folic Acid helps to prevent certain complications during childbirth but is important to everyone for proper cell renewal. This one is also known as Folate, or Vitamin B9 (as listed above).

Calcium: Most people should be familiar with this one. Teeth and bones, people! Teeth and bones! Good calcium levels are required to keep those body parts healthy.

Iron: This helps to build muscle tissue naturally and helps with proper health of the blood. As an interesting sidebar, it’s also what makes your blood red through the reflection of light!

Zinc: Immunity and Fertility. I’m a little unfamiliar with this one and haven’t had the opportunity to research it a great deal.

Chromium: This one is near and dear to my heart. Because it helps to control blood sugar levels. Chromium is what helps all the systems of your body to get the energy they need when they need it. Some traditional medicine practitioners will suggest Chromium supplements for Type 1 Diabetics who may have difficulty in maintaining proper levels.

Magnesium: This one helps your body to absorb all the other vitamins and minerals. It also acts as something of a relaxant to muscle tissue and play a role in proper muscle contraction.

Potassium: This mineral helps with the proper hydration of your body and helps to control blood pressure.

There are many others of course, but I’ve tried to cover off the main vitamins and minerals required for a proper diet. We get most of what we need by eating regularly and including a variety of healthy foods. A lot of people take a daily multi-vitamin, which is fine. But unless you are experiencing symptoms or unexplained illnesses, there shouldn’t be a need to actively try and take added amounts of anything. Your medical practitioner should be able to advise you if further supplementation is required. For example, patients who are recommended to take Folic Acid and Iron during pregnancy.

Obviously, all of this is extremely important; not only for proper health and fitness, which is important to me, but to help with Type 1 Diabetes as well. Taking a daily multivitamin can help to ensure that your body gets everything it needs, in combination with carbohydrates, lean proteins and fibre. My wife Laura originally gave me the idea for the post I wrote in 2019 when she asked about B-vitamins. Every time I re-post this material, I think of her. The credit for this post is all her! ☯️

Compromise Only Goes So Far…

Relationships and understanding require effort on both sides of the equation and this is something that many often don’t understand. As an example, I have a friend who seems to think he’s the absolute authority within his home and that his spouse should just go along and amend her lifestyle and choices to suit his. The problem with this is that relationships require compromise and while one could argue that the person who may not be keeping up with the other is the one who needs to compromise, that flow has to go both ways in order for a relationship to work. And to be clear, this applies to ANY relationship, not just romantic ones.

Throughout the course of my life, I’be been in many friendships, relationships and associations with people and it continues to amaze me how those relationships have often ended up one-sided. And I don’t mean that it was all them; some of it was absolutely me. I do have SOME ability to blame Diabetes in this mix, since my condition was very poorly treated during my teens when friendships were developed that should have blossomed into adulthood. But otherwise, selfishness and poor choices have led to the loss of some of the best friendships and relationships I’ve ever had.

That being said and before I fall too far down the rabbit hole, it’s important to remember that compromise can only get you so far. At the end of the day, one must recognize that there are aspects of your life that you should never compromise or abandon, simply because someone else is asking you to. Some of the relationships I’ve been in have been abusive and to the point where I damaged my health and happiness in order to prevent causing waves. But of there are people in your life who are forcing you to do this, you’re likely better off without them.

I’ve written about this before but I recently read one of those online “AITA” posts about someone with an eating disorder and how their chosen partner just wouldn’t understand when their need to eat kicked in. This reminded me of these aspects and I decided to list them out, once again. Here we go:

  1. Your Sleep

Sleep is a necessary requirement of life. A person can’t go without sleep and if one were to try, they would quite literally die. I could go into all the little details about what tiredness, fatigue and exhaustion can cause but that’s not what this post is about. The bottom line is that although we all love the concept of getting 8 hours of sleep in a night, there are a lot of reasons why someone may be unable to do so and may require rest outside of that. As a Type-1 Diabetic, my system usually responds to fluctuating blood sugars by having me get tired. This tiredness is generally eased by grabbing a quick nap; something that can be difficult if there are household responsibilities that are timely or there are children to help care for. But it should never be ignore simply because someone else dislikes it.

When I lived back home, I used to do some pretty erratic shift work that saw me exhausted and sleeping at strange hours, including at around 6 pm after I’d had some dinner. I’d always have this one wretched friend who’d come knock at my window (I was still living with my parents) until he’d wake me up. When I’d ask him what he wanted, he’d essentially peer-pressure me into leaving the house to go hang out, despite my explaining that I had worked and was tired. His reasoning was that I could always sleep later, since it was early in the evening. No, no I can’t asshole! Shift work doesn’t allow it.

My ex-wife used to be this way, as well. Any time I’d get home from working an overnight, she’d have just woken up and wold be raring to go for the day where all I’d want to do is crawl into my bed. She’d get angry with me for not staying up, despite logically knowing that I had been up throughout the entire night. Toxic. The bottom line and the takeaway here is that you should never sacrifice your need for rest, regardless of the time or what other people may say about it. Especially as a Type-1 Diabetic and knowing that all things affect my blood sugars, I shudder to think of all the damage I caused my self during the times I put off my own exhaustion in favour of others. OR how dangerous it might have been during times I drove or did activities I likely should have, during this fatigue. No more…

2. Your Hunger

If I have to explain why this one is important, y’all really haven’t been reading my stuff! Even if I wasn’t Type-1 Diabetic, it stands to reason that eating is an integral part of staying alive. Much like sleep, you can TRY to go without it but you’ll ultimately lose that battle right around the time you lose your life. In fact, if you try to stop eating, this constitutes an eating disorder, which is what prompted the writing of this post. The “AITA” article I read was about a person who had suffered an eating disorder and was in recovery. As part of their recovery, they had a requirement to eat immediately when they felt hungry, otherwise they could potentially relapse and go days without food.

This person was at a family dinner with their partner and at about 5:30 pm they started to feel hungry, so in keeping with their recovery, they ate a granola bar. Dinner was at 6:30 and they still ate normally and all was well until the couple left and the partner got angry because they considered it a disrespect to have eaten a snack in front of the family an hour before dinner. The couple broke up after the partner refused to acknowledge the person’ eating disorder and recovery and tried to claim that relationships are about compromise. The issue at hand here, is that one should never compromise on their need for food.

I totally understand that under very normal circumstances, waiting an added hour for dinner isn’t the end of the world and that growling stomach might even make for some interesting conversation and a few laughs. But in my world, even at a formal dinner, if I feel that my blood sugars are starting to drop, something is getting shovelled dow my gullet whether the hosts like it or not! Proper food and nutrition is also an integral part of your health and your health should also never be compromised, which brings me to m y third point…

3. Your Health

I have so much to say on this aspect that I would almost need a separate post JUST to explain… Your health actually contains and encompasses the other two points, which is why I saved it for last. For someone with Type-1 Diabetes, taking proper care of your health and managing your overall condition is really the only way to survive until you reach your golden years. But not everyone is always on board with this. Letting someone know that you have dietary restrictions, food requirements or any other conditions that require one to take certain steps will often fall on deaf ears. It’s a delicate balance of trying to make others understand, mixed with the fact that you don’t owe anyone an explanation as it relates to your health.

A good example I have is a kids’ birthday party I brought my oldest to, last year. The party was slated to start at about 4:30 and although I assumed there would be snacks and cake for the kids (it WAS a birthday party, after all) I didn’t want to assume that any adults would be fed, as well. So, I had some dinner before heading over. Setting aside for the moment that I appeared to be one of the only adults who stayed with their kids, the family was all smiles and friendly demeanour. That is, until the food came out. They had ordered pizza for EVERYONE, adults included. While this is an extremely nice gesture, I had already eaten and pizza is one of those really difficult foods to bolus for, especially after I had already eaten.

I made a point of explaining that I was grateful for the offer but couldn’t partake. I even included the fact I had Diabetes. Although they “kind of” said they understood, I could see that they really didn’t. It got worse when the cake came out and everyone was having a piece and I declined on the basis that since I wasn’t home, I didn’t want to upset my blood sugars. It was at that point that I could tell the hosts were experiencing what I can only assume was offence. I get it, I mean it is a birthday party and one of the people there is refusing all food and cake. But sometimes people need to understand that it isn’t about politeness and there may be an actual health component to it.

The bottom line, and I should get to it before I stretch this post another several pages, is that compromise is all well and good, but not at the cost of your health and well-being. You should never compromise your health or need to explain when you’re tired or hungry. One’s well-being is difficult enough to manage without having to justify or explain at ever step. Taking care of yourself is the first priority. And as I often say, even if you’re one of those folks who are always trying to help others, it’s very difficult to help others if you haven’t helped yourself, first. Food for thought…☯️

Happy Thanksgiving, Ya Hosers…

Happy Turkey-Day! I have to be honest, I spent my entire childhood and even the majority of my adult life having no fuckin’ idea WHY Canada celebrates thanksgiving. I mean, I get why the United States does it; it’s part of their history and an integral part of their story as to how they became a country (although not the greatest story, depending on who you talk to. But I didn’t think we had anything like that here in Canada. All throughout my childhood, I enjoyed the benefit of getting a day off from school on Thanksgiving without ever really knowing the reason behind it. And believe it or not, I would come to realize the reason for this holiday from the most unlikely source…

Believe it or not, I learned of the origins of Canadian Thanksgiving from the sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. In a particular episode, Robin Scherbatsky, played by Canadian-born actress Cobie Smulders, explains that Canadian Thanksgiving is the day of celebration of a explorer Martin Frobisher’s attempt at locating the Northwest Passage. Ironically, I’ve heard of this Northwest Passage throughout most of my life. This Frobisher character, not so much. Anyway, he apparently celebrated and have thanks for the first time on their ship in 1578 and the existing government decided in 1859 to celebrate it as a holiday.

Who knew that despite the comedic nature of the scene, it was based on actual information? Anyway, I hope y’all are having a good weekend and enjoying the extra day off from work. It’s been a nice weekend of spending time with my wife and toddler, Alexander. This afternoon, we’ll be travelling to grab my first-born son, Nathan, from his grandmother with whom he’s spent the whole weekend with. As much as I love my son, I have to admit that it’s been a quieter weekend. But I’m very much looking forward to having him back. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! ☯️

A Little Water Goes A Long, Long Way…

Years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a a fun weekend the likes of which I had never experienced before and haven’t quite experienced since. I’m talking the weekend I canoed down the Restigouche River. By the time I had reached my teens, I had the opportunity to camp overnight in commercial campgrounds and do SOME things outside, but I had never truly experienced the outdoors and surviving on my own until I had the opportunity to paddle down the river with one of my oldest and dearest friends. He likely won’t be reading this so I can flip some shit about him but I’ll mostly be focusing on our first trip down the river.

When my friend first suggested this trip, it was described as a 3-day ordeal of paddling and exposure to the elements. I wasn’t quite on board, especially since it would involve missing some karate classes but he finally convinced me. My friend’s family owned a rental company so we had the benefit of getting the canoe, supply barrels and various equipment for free. His mother took both our wallets with the thought that if we lost it in the river, we’d be screwed. As good a thought as that was, at the time, reflection on that aspect decades later tells me that if something had happened to us on the river, authorities would have had no way to identify our bodies. But it all worked out, so I guess I digress…

We were driven north-west by one of my friend’s sisters and dropped off at a launching site. The adventure started when we realized that we would be hit by a solid bout of rain before we got on the river. I foolishly thought that we would throw in the towel but my friend pointed out that it would be pretty silly to sacrifice 3 days of fun on the river for a little rain. I agreed and we cast off. Although we immediately got drenched by the rain, we had a blast. We paddled for a number of hours before we found a spot on the river that was out of water and safe enough to set up camp for the night.

Restigouche River, taken from Wikipedia

We got a fire going, set up the tent and had an hour of quiet reflection as we chatted and snacked on the side of a river. The following morning, we shared the chores of getting the camp taken down as well as making a makeshift breakfast in a cast iron pan over a roaring campfire. It was a fantastic morning. We even had a forest ranger come visit and chat with us over coffee for while. No devices, no internet, no distractions. Nothing but good conversation and the open river.

We took to the water early on and started paddling down. We arrived at a part of the river where there was a deep, clear pool of water. We parked the canoe and tied it off and got in the water and floated down river in our life jackets for a bit. We were able to see so many freshwater salmon rushing around us. It was a fantastic experience. We set up camp for the second time that afternoon and spent some time swimming, laughing, signing A Cappella and enjoying the silent peace of the wilderness. It made me wonder why I had never done anything of this sort before. Then, I remembered that I was a Type-1 Diabetic and my parents were paranoid and shielded me from life. But I digress.

We reached the shores of Atholville, which meant that my friend’s family would be around to pick us up shortly. We were dehydrated, exhausted but happy. Our 3-day transit was a combination of intense exercise from the paddling and being in the elements. Packing up the canoe and our equipment almost felt like a tedious endeavour and took forever. That ride back into town felt surreal; like being in the civilized world was something we had left behind. But it didn’t take long for us to get back to my friend’s Apartment where a hunger the likes of which I haven’t felt in forever took hold.

It was hard getting back to normal after that. A few years later, we would follow-up with a second trip down the river. It’s fantastic fun. I highly recommend enjoying some time in the forest where you ACTUALLY have some time to connect with nature and disconnect from modern life. It’s been a couple of decades since those two river trips and all the fun we had. Maybe sometime ion the near future, I’l need to find a way to introduce my sons to that same level of peace and nature. ☯️

A Quieter Weekend…

So for some reason, my son had yesterday off from school. He still had the Monday holiday off, but he was given Friday off, as well. I don’t know if my parents thought this, but I can’t help but feel that he gets WAY more days off than I ever did when I went to school. Anyway, because he had a four-day weekend, my mother-in-law agreed to come to Regina and pick him up for the weekend. The result is one less child in the house for the weekend. This posed an interesting opportunity since I typically have a pretty fixed weekend routine. Friday night is when Nathan and I have our boys’ night. Saturday night is when my wife and I have our movie/tv night. Sunday is for laundry, grocery shopping and prepping for the week to come.

With Nathan gone, my Friday night suddenly became open. I’m a creature of habit so I don’t do all that well when there’s a change in my routine. What would I do? An extra movie night? Play with the baby? maybe if I had something resembling a life outside of work, home and karate I would go out for drinks with friends. But I’m not one of those people. Then my wife had an excellent suggestion; I should still have my “boys’ night” but with Alexander. He very rarely gets to hang out in the basement with me and he’s always calling for me when I’m in the house so it made sense and it was a good suggestion.

As much as I love him and as much as I hate to admit it, Alexander often gets overlooked. The reason behind that is quite simple; he and Nathan usually can’t be in the same room for extended periods, lest they harm each other or destroy their environment. I would expect no less from my loin-fruit. But because of this, Alexander is usually relegated to the living room where his toys and the television is located. I’d hang out in there more often but my OCD can’t handle the mess he makes with his toys and when I DO hang out in there, Nathan usually comes to the gate to get my attention and causes all sorts of chaos.

I know, I know… First world problems, am I right? I have two strong, healthy children and that should be enough. But controlling them both is challenging and frustrating, which usually leads to me hanging out with Nathan downstairs while Alexander hangs in the living room. Not last night. Oh no, sir! Not last night… Last night, I had the opportunity to spend some time downstairs with Alexander without Nathan upsetting the delicate balance of tranquility and quiet enjoyment of my toddler. We watched cartoons, played some games and enjoyed some cuddles. It was nice but more than anything else, it was important.

Life goes by in a flicker. A very short flicker. Alexander just turned 3-years old a little over a week ago and it seems like time has just flown. I honestly never knew time could fly by so fast until I had children. But appreciating the little moments makes it all seem better. Alexander and I had a fun night, last night. I’m sure my son Nathan had a god time with his grandmother, as well. Making time for both my children can be challenging but so rewarding and important. ☯️

Life’s Too Short…

One of the big things that I think we can all agree on, is that life is pretty short. I’m sure there are those that feel life drags on, but that isn’t what today’s post is about. The point is, no matter what your background or personal beliefs, no one truly knows what happens after the end of this life nor can we speak clearly with those who have gone on to experience whatever comes next. For that reason, it’s important to recognize that we need to enjoy and experience all the positive things life has to offer while we’re here. Life is too short for regrets.

I’ve often written about how I have no regrets and that remains true. After all, every decision and every life choice, good or bad, has brought me to who I am today. And I’m pretty fuckin’ pleased with myself (at least that’s what my family tells me). But seriously, I’m very happy with who I am as a person and I have to acknowledge that my specific path brought me here, so how could I regret it? Depending on where you are in life, I don’t think it’s so much an idea of regret as it is a matter of working towards making life better. This applies especially, when it comes to one’s employment.

Nowadays, a job isn’t a luxury, it’s a requirement. The unfortunate reality is that money is needed to live a standard life. Even the mor3 creative folks who decide to live “off grid” will need some form of currency in order to obtain the materials and equipment they need to take themselves off grid. Money is the unfortunate common denominator that joins all the worlds problems and solutions, and a job is typically the only way to come by it honestly.

I’ve had a LOT of jobs in my life, starting with being a “card collector” for my local church’s Thursday evening bingo games. Between each game, I would walk the rows and collect all the used and dabbed bingo cards to make room for the fresh ones. What a gargantuan waste of paper! I wonder if they still play that way? Anyhoo, it paid $5 for the evening and usually after a month, I had enough to buy whatever monthly editions of comics I wanted with a couple of dollars leftover. Ah, the good ol’ days…

It was a decent gig for the time and my age but I’ll confess that not all jobs were like that. I remember working in the call intake centre for a well-known courier. The job paid phenomenally but I made the mistake of starting it over the holiday season. As a result, I was getting all the panicky, frustrated people who wanted their packages delivered in an unrealistic timeline because it had to reach certain destinations by Christmas. The stress and anxiety that job caused still makes me wonder how that place kept any staff.

Although it paid very well and I was living my best life at the time, I was absolutely miserable. The very thought of going into work had my stomach in such a knot that I didn’t have a healthy bathroom trip for months. You’re welcome, for sharing that last detail. I was only at the beginning of this career path but I could already tell it wouldn’t be for me and wouldn’t bring me joy, despite the amount of money I was bringing in.

By contrast, my years as a police officer were fantastic. I was happy. I was protecting people and saving lives. I was fulfilled, satisfied and pleased with the direction my life was taking. And once I had been on that career path for a number of years, I was making a salary that allowed me to live comfortably. I wasn’t rich, by any stretch of the imagination. After all, the old saying about “honest cop’s salary” is no joke. By I wasn’t on street eating canned beans. And I got to do what I loved.

The ultimate point to this post is twofold. On the one hand, it won’t be the money that makes you happy. Although you need to consider your family and finances in order to ensure you remain whole, it’s important that you be happy in what you do. And if you ARE, the money won’t be so important. But you need to be realistic about what you want and how you’re doing it, all while being cognizant not to make brash choices that COULD affect your family and home life.

On the other hand, while it’s important not to rush off and abandon a job that may not be a fit for you, the big thing as well is not to contribute to making it a toxic environment. I’m currently aware of people within my environment that do very little than bad-talk and spread negative misinformation on the job. They’re still quite good at what they do but they won’t stop bitching about it. If you’ve reached that point, not only do you need to step away and leave that job behind for yourself but also for the other employees that have to sit there and hear your negativity.

Folks, life is too short. It’s important to do something you love. Or at the very least, something you can enjoy. Money isn’t everything and if you’ve worked hard to get to where you are, you should enjoy the ride. Do what you love and you’ll technically never work a day in your life. And that’s the secret to happiness; find the path that suits you, know what you’re worth and drive towards that. Keeping in mind that if your family depends on you, you don’t have the option of living out of a suitcase while you figure it out. I did say life is short, after all. Food for thought… ☯️

What The Hell Was I Saying…?

I just read something online about the month of October being ADHD awareness month. I couldn’t find any information about whether this applied in Canada and to be honest, I can’t be bothered to remember all the “awareness” months or the ridiculous, second-tier holidays that seem to be all the rage these days. National Donut Day? Give me a fuckin’ break… Who the hell is that even for? I think I just proved my point… I started this post several times and am still on the first paragraph but as the reader, you thankfully won’t know that. But really, why the fuck is there an ADHD awareness month? Someone with ADHD won’t even be aware of this month or give a shit. But once again, I digress…

I thirteen years old when my brother passed away from heart failure at the age of 18. Because a young person’s death is obviously a traumatic event to all those who remain behind, I was brought to a therapist who “chatted” with me, and by chatted with me, I mean that he assessed me for further treatment. Because of certain things I said and my inability to sit still and focus on the topic at hand, I was referred to a psychiatrist who, after several tests and arguments, diagnosed me with ADHD. Given that my brother had just died, my family attributed things to that and didn’t take stock in the diagnosis. Whatever. What was I saying…? Oh, yeah…

I’m making light of things because it’s how I’ve come to cope with it. But my ADHD symptoms never really went away. So let’s start with the basics, as I always do. What the fuck IS ADHD, anyway? Well, ADHD is a mental disorder that according to an article posted by The American Psychiatry Association, “Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought). ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning […]. ADHD can lead to poor self-esteem and social function in children when not appropriately treated […]. Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism possibly stemming from higher levels of criticism throughout life […]. Of note, ADHD presentation and assessment in adults differs;”

I have to say that I don’t entirely agree with the last couple of sentences where they refer to adult ADHD. I STILL match almost all of these symptoms, making sitting still, focusing and getting proper sleep a severe challenge in my adult life. This is something people generally don’t recognize or understand. In fact, if any people who know me personally read this, they may actually be a bit surprised by the revelation. Besides my wife and a couple of closely chosen individuals, I’ve never really shared the fact that I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. It’s never held me back, although it HAS made certain things hard throughout my life, both as a child and into adulthood.

In school, my grades were above average but I was considered sub-par. This was mostly because I couldn’t pay attention in class to save my life. I used to use my pencil case and it’s contents to build small forts on my desk that would allow me to hide my face and nap during class. My teachers would get pissed but at the end of the day I would pass everything, so what could they really do? It wasn’t my fault they were boring as fuck and all I could focus on was the movie I watched the previous evening or the karate class I would attend that evening. Somehow, I would always pass every class with flying colours.

Continuing to experience the symptoms of ADHD can easily carry on into adulthood, contrary to what some less-than-knowledgable colleagues have told me over the years. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Adult ADHD can lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem, and other problems. Though it’s called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into adulthood. In some cases, ADHD is not recognized or diagnosed until the person is an adult. Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children. In adults, hyperactivity may decrease, but struggles with impulsiveness, restlessness and difficulty paying attention may continue.”

Anyway, I didn’t even know this month was a thing, far from thinking it should garner this kind of attention. Most sources will say that ADHD is treated with psychiatric consultations and treatments as well as medications. I’ve been lucky enough that I never had to go on medications. I also don’t like how that often to seems to be to go-to, although I understand that it’s necessary in some cases. This is actually near and dear to me, despite my cavalier writing, since we’re trying to figure out if my oldest is also afflicted with ADHD. Once way or another, if you have a friend or colleague who seems to have a hard time sitting still or paying attention, don’t question it. Just be aware that they may not be able to physically help it. That is all. ☯️

Your Roots Are Your Foundation…

Continuing on my recent trend of gaining knowledge in the least likely of places, I gleaned some important insight from a movie I’ve probably seen more times than I can count. But it’s true; if we’re willing to listen, we can gain wisdom and insight into life, our journey and the martial arts. All one has to do is be willing to do more than sit there and stare idly at the screen, whether it’s the television, your smart device or whatever. But before I go off on more of a rant than I have to, I should stop digressing and get to the bloody point of today’s post…

There’s no denying that the most important aspect of any style of martial arts, is its foundation. Without a solid foundation, a practitioner will never progress or grow beyond the basic elements of a first-day practitioner, nor will they be able to set goals and truly learn the art. Further, someone who somehow muddles through on a weak foundation will always have a weak martial arts constitution and will never truly learn the adapt to the style they endeavour to learn. As they say, the strongest structure built on a weak foundation will still collapse.

I some ways, many ways, learning the martial way is a bit like growing a tree. Contrary to what one might think from looking out at a forest, there are actually quite a number of important factors that have to line up in order for a tree to grow. The right soil, the right sunlight and the right conditions all have to be in play in order for the roots to take hold. However, once the roots DO take hold, the tree will then determine how it grows, depending on all the factors I mentioned above. Some plants and flowers will even turn towards the sun throughout the course of a day. The path the tree takes in its growth is up to the tree; much as the path the martial artists takes to grow is up to them.

When a martial artists begins their training, they’re presented with the basic elements they need in order to learn the martial arts. These basics are the equivalent of the tree’s sunlight, soil and water. Only once these elements are implemented can the martial artist’s foundation “take root.” From there, the martial artists must decide for themselves how they’ll grow and progress. Much like a tree that will wilt and rot under the wrong conditions, a martial artist will also stagnate from taking the wrong direction. Being given the proper fundamentals and allowing the basics take root won’t be enough. The martial artist also has to be positive in their training and daily life.

If we look at the other side of the equation, dropping seeds into a bucket of water may cause them to sprout, but they likely won’t grow and thrive since they’d be missing several key elements needed to grow properly. By the same token, if you learn shitty basics from a McDojo or a poor style, you won’t grow or thrive either. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that you seek out a dojo and style that suits you and fits your overall goals. You also want a Sensei who is engaged and willing to train you in order to cement that starting foundation.

At the end of the day, ensuring you have strong roots is important. Once you have those roots and your foundation is established, how you grow is up to you. Much like the tree that decides its path, you need to decide what kind of person and martial artist you’ll grow into. With strong roots and a strong heart, not only will you achieve whatever goals you seek through the martial arts, you’ll also positively contribute to society in a way that will allow you to shine like the beautiful bonsai tree that you are. Food for thought… ☯️

Mouse Trap… (Not The Game)

I remember this one time in my twenties when I attended a karate class during the summer. It was a gruelling two hours in a non-air conditioned environment where most people had to practically pull themselves out of the deep pool of sweat on the floor that they had created. Once class let out and given that it was summertime, a few of us decided we wanted to climb to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain to watch the sunset. I challenge a couple of them to climb the west face with me. they foolishly accepted.

To provide a bit of context, Sugarloaf Mountain is an extinct volcano that sits at under 1000 feet at its summit. There’s a perimeter trail that goes around the base and an ascension trail on the east side. It’s pretty steep, but there are guard rails, steel ladders and various rock formations that help a person reach the top. It takes about forty minutes. The west side is a sheer face. That is all. It takes about twenty minutes to ascend, provided you actually keep moving consistently and steadily. Lots of people do free climbing but very few people back home have been exposed to it. All of that was followed by climbing back down, showering and attending a local pub for a cold beer to end the night. And that night ended well past midnight.

Meanwhile, flash forward twenty years and I pulled my back by sneezing this morning. Time stays consistent but the passing of said time has a way of slowing us down. Although time is started to catch up and I may not be able to train as much, as hard and as fast as I did twenty years ago, the important thing to remember is that this “seizure” of one’s body happens far faster if one sits idle and does nothing. The important thing is to stay active, keep moving and recognize that one’s body may occasionally need a bit more recovery time when performing the same level of exercise.

I was inspired to write this post when a colleague described his fitness routine in anticipation of a trip to Machu Picchu. He was describing how he’s slowly building up his strength and cardio, being cognizant of his body and his requirement to heal. This woke me up to the fact that not so long ago, I could hop out of bed and hit the ground running. Nowadays, it takes several minutes for the signal to get up to travel from my brain and for my body to stop swearing at me to quit pushing it. Then, when i finally do get up, all of my joints sound like a hundred mouse traps going off at the same time.

Time catches up on us all. There’s no escaping that (at least until I discover the secret to vampirism). But that doesn’t mean one needs to give up and throw in the towel. It’s important to keep moving and stay active, especially for someone with Type-1 Diabetes. Sometimes it might feel easier to just kick back and let time make fools of us all. But nothing is ever accomplished by taking the easier path. Food for thought… ☯️

Size Matters Not…

One of the big things that makes karate so particular, is the fact that you don’t have to be big and strong in order to study and practice it. I still remember asking Sensei’s son, back in the late 1980’s about what it takes to be successful in karate. The conversation went a little something like this:

ME: “What do you need to be in karate? Do you have to be strong?”
HIM: “Nope.”
ME: “Do you need good speed?”
HIM: “Nope…”
ME: “So, what do you need?”
HIM: “Just concentration.”
ME: “That’s it???”
HIM: “Yup, everything else comes later…”

It would take a year or two before I would realize that he was right; despite the fact I was a scrawny little punk with no constitution and no bodily strength, I started to gain mass, speed and precision, all of which started increasing exponentially based on how hard I focused my attentions on my training and concentrated. Who knew he’d be right? I guess it was bound to happen once, right? (Just kidding, Guillaume! Please don’t track me down and kill me…)

Size and strength goes a long way. After all, if two people square off and one is 6-foot-5 and 230lbs and the other 5-foot-7 and 185lbs, there’s a VERY strong likelihood that the bigger guy’s strikes will have more of an effect than the little guy’s. But the eventual development of speed and accuracy is what closes the gap. It’s like basic, high school physics teaches us; if two objects of different mass are accelerating at the same rate of acceleration, the one with the heavier mass will have the greater force on impact. Or similarly, if an object with half the mass accelerates at twice the rate, it will have the same force on impact as the larger one.

I don’t want to muddy the waters with a bunch of physics (I’ve done enough of that in other posts). My point is that the smaller and less imposing opponent can still pose as much of a challenge to defeat as the larger, more muscular one. That ability comes from consistent commitment, concentration and focus on your art and skills. I have to say that a great demonstration of that concept comes from the most unlikely source: Star Wars. In Empire Strikes Back, Yoda makes a point of telling Luke Skywalker, “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not.”

That was in 1980. Imagine my surprise and the collective gasps and surprise everyone had, 22 years later during Episode II: Attack of the Clones, where Yoda fought against Count Dooku and suddenly emerged from the diminutive, walking cane-carrying little green character to an absolute whirlwind of flips, acrobatics and lightsaber techniques. Given his limited screen exposure during the original trilogy, it came as a pleasant surprise to see him using his Jedi skills in all their glory during the prequel trilogy. This was reflected further during Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, where he fights against the Emperor.

The lesson here is that despite his small size, Yoda turned out to be amongst the most skilled and capable of his peers. The same concept applies to karate. When I look back at the weak, tiny and physically unimposing stature I had when I first started karate as compared to how I am now, I recognize that concept within myself. Granted, some of my mass and stature can now be attributed to my dad bod. But I digress… This is one of the things I enjoy about Cobrai Kai, as well. Some of the main characters were presented as having been what some consider to be skinny nerds, only to eventually turn out to become champions.

It shows that you should never allow what you perceive as your limitations to hold you back. Where you go and how your progress is entirely up to you. Karate has a place for anyone who choose to commit to it. Although different styles will suit different people, once you’ve decided on karate, you can go a long way towards building yourself up and achieving your goals. All you need is focus and concentration. Food for thought… Hey, look at that! I wrote a post that combines my martial arts and my nerdy, geeky side! Go, me! ☯️