Category: Opinion

Live And Learn…

It always amazes me how people underestimate the weather. Especially adults who may or may not have lived their entire lives in a particular area, so should be well aware of some of the risks and pitfalls they may face on account of weather. And it doesn’t always have to be bad weather, either. That makes it even worse. An example of this came yesterday, when I left Regina to travel to Saskatoon for my eye injections. I awoke reasonably early and followed my usual weekday routine of preparing Nathan’s lunch for school, followed by enjoying some caffeine and my breakfast shake.

While I was getting my bag packed for the overnight in Saskatoon, I made a point of checking the weather. One might think this is a worthless step, as I would need to reach the appointment no matter how cold it is but it’s a habit I’ve formed over the years. What’s interesting is that in Saskatchewan, the weather is almost inhumanly cold. I’m talking -50 with the windchill factored in. Meanwhile, most people back home in New Brunswick will consider it very cold in the minus 20’s, which is almost laughable EXCEPT for the fact they get tons of snow. But I digress…

I checked the weather in both Regina and Saskatoon and was surprised to notice that at 7 a.m. with the daylight barely breaking, that it was only -6 degrees out. Most people would think that this is a good thing, as it would mean milder weather for the trip. Well, yes… Maybe but it also means something dangerous that the average person doesn’t consider: the highways will become a skating rink for a short period of the morning as the sun’s heat brings out the permafrost from beneath the roadways. It can make high speeds treacherous and drivers usually pay it no mind or consider it.

I usually don’t take chances with being late at the best of times, so I left early enough to be able to drive slowly and avoid an unnecessary landing in the ditch. I was travelling on the highway and was only doing about 95 km/h on a 110 km/h highway. That sort of driver usually pisses me off to no end, if I’m being honest. But that’s usually in the case where caution isn’t as necessary. This morning it was necessary. It was still early and I had plenty of time to make my appointment so I ignored the drivers who must have been frustrated with my speed, whipping past me on the passing lane; a passing lane that was coated with frost from being used LESS than the main lane of travel…

Then, it happened. I was driving down one side of a valley and slowing so as not to lose control on the way down. The main travel lane seemed completely thawed but I wasn’t taking chances. Apparently, some douchebag in a Volkswagen disagreed and passed me on the left doing a significant amount of speed. His vehicle suddenly veered and bounced off the safety cable lining the left side of the highway. This caused his vehicle to veer towards the right side of the highway and off of the roadway. I came to a stop on the curb, activated my hazard lights and ran back to check on the driver. He was uninjured and was already on his cell phone contacting a tow truck.

I asked him if he needed help and he seemed frustrated as he said he was fine and would wait for the tow truck on his own. I got back in my car and continued driving. I couldn’t help but feel that he was frustrated at me for driving slowly as he likely wouldn’t have had to pass if I weren’t in front of him. But hey, I didn’t ask him to drive fast on a slippery road. This is a prime example of how we cause our own suffering. But the lesson here is that nature doesn’t discriminate nor does it care about one’s schedule. Give the weather the respect it deserves, good or bad. It could mean the difference between reaching your destination or sitting in the ditch, pissed off and late. Food for thought… ☯️

Not Just The Boy Scout Motto…

Even if you’ve never been in the Boy Scouts, you’ve no doubt heard of their motto, “Be Prepared” in television or movies at some given point. I myself, was a Beaver Scout in the early 80’s, until I was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes and my world was turned on its head. But before I turn this post into a pity party, let’s focus on the motto, which is the aim of today’s post. Being prepared in life is important. Since we live in a relatively comfortable environment where most resources and amenities are available to us (at least here in Canada), people have a tendency to overlook good preparedness.

Now, I could be very generalized and discuss how one should be properly prepared in ALL aspects of their lives, including the care of their home, family, health and property. But what I’m going to focus on today is specifically as it relates to one’s fitness, especially in conjunction with Diabetes. It’s no secret that having Diabetes presents a plethora of challenges, especially when you’re working out. This means you need to be prepared for the inevitable issues you may face when training.

First of all, we need to agree that it’s somewhat easier to function with high blood sugar than it is with low blood sugar. There’s a certain where where either one is an issue but if you’re doing something fitness-related, you’ll find you can at least push through and won’t pass out if your blood sugars are high. The same can’t be said if your blood sugars are low. For that reason, it’s important to ALWAYS bring some fast-acting carbohydrates with you. For me, jellybeans work best. I know that some people will use a variety of juices, gummy candies and even straight sugar and water. You’ll want to find what works for you and be sure to keep it on hand. You want to avoid certain foods like chocolate, which is basically just a block of fat that will take forever to bring your levels up.

Next and equally important, is water. If you haven’t noticed from the thousand+ posts I’ve put up (yes, I am now in the thousands), hydration plays an integral role in fitness and overall health. Proper hydration is also helpful in maintaining balanced blood sugars. Most sources will say that we should all be keeping a reusable bottle with us and consistently siping from it, throughout the day. My wife is far better at this than I am. When it comes to fitness, you want to strike that proper balance and try to avoid dehydration AND drinking too much water.

You probably read that last sentence and asked, “Can you really ever drink TOO much water, Shawn?” Why, yes! Yes, you can! Consuming too much water in the wrong conditions will cause something called hyponatremia. This condition can be caused by an increase in diuretics, severe or excess sweating or consuming too much water. The result is your body’s concentration of electrolytes, namely sodium, gets too low. Back in the summer of 2020, I experienced this condition firsthand. I woke up on a day off and chugged an energy drink, which I unfortunately seem to do every morning. Then, I performed the longest bike ride I had taken (at that point) where I peddled from Regina to Balgonie.

It’s a 56-kilometre trek, back and forth, which is far from the farthest I’ve managed to achieve since then. But it was summertime, with temperatures in the mid-30’s and dry Prairie air… My phone shut down halfway due to being too hot, I was sweating like a hog and chugging back water ever five minutes. To my credit, I had brought plenty of water and fast-acting carbs, but little else. This meant that I kept pumping the water in to slate my thirst but I was losing electrolytes through my sweat. Like, a lot!

By the time I got home, every joint was killing me, I had a headache, nausea and difficulty focusing. It took several minutes of trying to look up the symptoms and my wife helping out to discover that I needed to take in some sodium. I slugged back a couple of bottles of Gatorade and ate some salt & vinegar chips and laid on my bed with the A/C going at full strength. Once my body slowly started to regulate, I got groggy and fell asleep for a while. It was probably the most uncomfortable and painful experience outside of a tangible injury or Diabetes.

Since then, I maintain a practice of mixing electrolytes with water as I cycle, which has served me well on my 70 and 80-kilometre treks. But it was an important lesson to recognize that getting to the end of a significant workout can require more than just sheer will. Easy things to carry with you, whether at the dojo or while out doing cardio, are little things like a portable battery pack to charge your phone in the event of an emergency and bandages or a small travel first aid kit. You may never NEED any of those things but it’s always better to have it and not need it.

Being prepared is an important aspect of anything one does in life. It can mean the difference between potential facing a dangerous or hazardous situation or being temporarily inconvenienced. it all depends on how prepared you want to be. For most people with Type-1 Diabetes, being prepared and constantly dragging along a small bag with carbs, testing equipment and food can mean the difference between good health or a hospital trip. Why not take the few minutes required to ensure that you always have what you need for any workout or outing you go on. ☯️

Just Shut It…

I know my title may have enticed some folks to think I’m talking about being quiet or shutting one’s mouth, but as you can see from the categories, this will actually be a martial arts post. One of the things I used to enjoy about regularly attending karate class is that it always provided me with plenty of material to write about. In some ways, a lot of ways, having studied karate for as many years as I have puts me at a disadvantage because I’ve reached the stage where trying to figure out something to write about that the average practitioner requires correction on, is difficult. But since I am now studying a new style, a lot of that perspective is making a wild comeback.

This situation describes something that happened during drills last week and happens to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I know that some practitioners may have a different view and I invite an open discussion on that view in my comments section. But the pet peeve I’m referring to is the propensity some students seem to have to punch with a loose fist. By “loose fist,” I mean that they’re throwing a punch or a technique without their fist being properly clenched shut, leaving the fingers loose and vulnerable in the event of an actual impact.

Most beginners can’t be faulted for adopting this habit, since leaving the fingers loose means there’s less tension in the arm, making for better speed when practicing a drill. For a beginner who believes they need to keep up with more experienced practitioners, this may seem like a good idea. But the cost will always far outweigh the benefit. For one thing, muscle memory is an important aspect of karate. One of the most important ways to ensure you can properly defend yourself is by developing your muscle memory to ensure that if someone attacks you, you don’t have to stop and think about what you’re going to do.

My point is that if you continuously practice your punches with a loose fist, you’ll be more inclined to do it that way in a practical setting and you’ll likely break all your fingers on the point of impact. The human hand contains over two dozen bones, with the carpals containing about eight, the metacarpals containing five and the fingers and thumb hold over a dozen. That’s a lot of fuckin’ bones that you could potentially fracture or break against someone’s skull or sternum, if you punch incorrectly.

I’m reminded of something that happened last week while performing a punch/block drill with a brown belt. The drill was pretty simple; one person would punch to the belt line and the other person would do a low block to intercept. In this instance, we were building up speed and the drill seemed to be going well. Then I made a mistake… That’s right, ME! I anticipated the punch, which is a terrible thing to do but I had almost completed the block when the brown belt’s punch came in. The result is that our fists impacted each other.

I’m talkin’ knuckle to knuckle, bone on bone, full speed impact. It was painful but manageable since my fist was firmly clenched. My partner however, not so much. There was a sickening sound as his loose fingers crunched against my fist. He backed away, doing a little hippity-hop dance and cradling his hand. Luckily, he didn’t appear to break or fracture any bones but I like to think it taught him an important lesson; especially at the brown belt level.

Some styles actually train to adopt a loose fist during the throw, only clenching the fist at the moment of impact. There are a lot of conceptual thoughts behind this, including increased speed and the ability to switch up one’s technique at the last moment. It’s a matter fo preference, I guess. Certainly no disrespect to other styles who practice this way. I’m just not a fan of potentially breaking my hand because of a last moment mistake.

Karate is a life-long commitment that requires precision and practice. It’s important to take things one technique at a time and practice, practice, practice… properly. Short cuts will get you nowhere. Even if it seems as though you may be getting to your goals faster in the moment, the cost will easily outweigh the result. After all, you shouldn’t practice until you get it right; Practice until you can’t get it wrong. ☯️

The Bystander Effect…

Ah, bystanders… If you’ve ever been present during a fight in school, you know that there’s usually ALWAYS a group of looky-loos who will stand around and watch things play out. Even if one of the combatants happen to be a bully and seems to be overwhelming the other, people will usually just stand and watch as opposed to stepping in and helping or breaking them up.

This phenomenon is known as the Bystander Effct, and in simple terms it refers to a social theory where people likely won’t help someone (even if they need it) if there are other people there with them. Part of the concept is that most people are likely to believe that someone else will step in, making them hesitate to step in and help, themselves. These days, the big problem is that the majority of people are obsessed with whipping out their fucking cell phones and filming what they see in the interest of posting it on the internet as opposed to helping their fellow man/woman.

According to an article I found posted by Psychology Today, “the bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation, against a bully, or during an assault or other crime. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is for any one of them to provide help to a person in distress. People are more likely to take action in a crisis when there are few or no other witnesses present.”

The article goes on to explain the perception of diffusion of responsibility and what influence society has on a person. Also, some people may choose not to react in response to fear, believing that intervening could lead to an increased level of danger against themselves. Depending on where you live, some people also have the fear of liability if they intervene, with the prospect of getting sued, buzzing at the back of their minds. While many places in North America have no legal obligation for someone to step in and help, there are places that have adopted “duty-to-rescue” laws, making it illegal to simply sit and watch if someone is in distress.

Last but not least, as I mentioned earlier, we live in world of social media and the internet. This has had an increased impact on the Bystander Effect, since most people are more likely to whip out their phones and record an incident than get involved. Another aspect is many people will avoid getting involved BECAUSE they fear it being documented on the internet. Chicken and the egg. But I if you Google “bystander effect,” you’ll find tons of examples where someone has been in distress and even in mortal danger, where others have simply recorded with their phones or sat back and done nothing.

So, how does one break this spell? Well, the ideal thing is to assume you’ll be the only one to do something. Then do it. Even if that only means using verbal intervention and yelling at the aggressor. As I always say, anything is something more than nothing. But from strictly a moral standpoint, it’s important for one to consider that if one was stuck in the same situation as they’re witnessing, they would likely appreciated someone helping out. Could there be legal ramifications? Yes, there could. But at the end of the day, if it means everyone gets to go home to their loved ones, any other challenge can be overcome. Food for thought… ☯️

Cobra Kai, Season 4: A Review (Mild Spoilers)

Look, I’ve often written about some of the issues I take with how martial arts are portrayed on the big or small screen. And those opinions still hold true but this doesn’t mean that I don’t fully enjoy watching martial arts on television. Especially when the story is sound and the plot is solid. With that in mind, I thought I would take a few moments to share my thoughts on Season 4 of Cobra Kai, which my wife and I just finished binging this weekend.

First, I’ve provided my opinion on previous seasons of Cobra Kai in previous posts, so even though some of what I’m about to say will be repeated, it’s still relevant. When I first heard about this show, I was beyond excited. After all, the last time a genuine instalment of the Karate Kid came out was 1994, with Hilary Swank playing the delinquent student who couldn’t stay out of trouble. It was an interesting take on the series, considering the original Karate addressed the classic scenario of the new kid being bullied, ten years prior to that.

When I first watched the Karate kid, I recognized a lot of what Daniel Larusso was going through in myself. Although not so much when the film came out, my formative years were chaotic at best, being bullied and considered an outcast (sound familiar?). When Cobra Kai came out, I was happy to see that Larusso had found some success in his life, including a beautiful wife and kids (one of whom is Type-1 Diabetic in real life), lovely house and prosperous business, he overcame the apparent issues of his youth and made life work for him. This resonated with me deeply.

Then, I faced a speed bump in that only the first two episodes were available on YouTube unless one signed up for YouTube’s streaming service. Unfortunately, I wasn’t willing to subscribe to YET another service, since I already have a few on the go. Lucky for me, Netflix picked up the series a short while later. I started watching it and enjoying every episode. I think it was an interesting turn of events to see Johnny Lawrence, big, bad-ass bully in the 80’s having fallen down on his luck and became the one with the struggles.

I would never wish ill on any person but there’s something to be said for karma. I know that some of the guys who used to bully me have gone on to face the same karmic consequences as the show’s anti-hero. But I digress… The concept and the storyline was sound and it only took one or two episodes for my wife to get on board and I started the series over from the beginning so that she would be caught up.

Season 3 left off with some really important cliffhangers, including long-time enemies joining forces to overcome a common foe, something you might not see in reality. It also featured episodes where Larusso returned to Japan and Okinawa and put an old rivalry to rest by sparring with Chozen and acknowledging that their respective karate comes from the same roots.

In making my way through Season 4, I could clearly see the struggle of two teachers with very different philosophies trying to keep their students on the straight and narrow. It would be similar to a plumber and an electrician trying to teach a group of apprentices BOTH sets of skills; it can be done, but the difficulty would be immense. Some students would adapt better than others and both groups would go on to compete in the All Valley Tournament, which I won’t get into detail as it may spoil a bit too much of the storyline for those who haven’t yet seen it.

The season finished on a curious note, with Larusso appearing once again to team up with another old rival. It will be interesting to see how Season 5 plays out. That being said, let’s examine a few of my pros and cons for this show. It stands to reason that it IS a show and total realism can’t and shouldn’t be expected. The storyline is somewhat sound, considering I’ve known dojos that demonstrate similar rivalries as depicted in the show.

One aspect that really gets my hackles up, is the fact that we see a number of newly-minted karate practitioners who had never donned a gi before, learning karate and suddenly getting into these long, drawn out fights with their peers within weeks of starting. Considering karate takes YEARS to become proficient, this is definitely an unrealistic expectation for anyone studying unless they have previous training and experience or have done some other martial art.

We see this effect in Samantha Larusso, the protagonist’s daughter. She had been studying karate with Larusso throughout her childhood before taking it up again. And as I’ve recently realized, it can be very much like riding a bike. Tori, one of Cobra Kai’s top students, had some previous training as well before stepping into the Cobra Kai dojo. But then we see some of the less-athletic students who, just a short while prior, were getting their asses handed to them becoming proficient in a short period of time and holding their own. Right. Okay, moving on…

All in all, it is a fantastic show with some great writing and evokes definite feelings of nostalgia in old dogs like me. Including karate into the mix is simply icing on the cake. If you’ve never seen the show, I highly recommend it as something simple and easy to binge, with the seasons running on only about a dozen episodes. ☯️

Cookie Cutters Should Stay In The Kitchen

If you look back about fifty years, society had certain expectations from a person. Hell, even just thirty or twenty years back will let you see it. In general, a person was expected to study, work hard, get a job, meet that special someone, buy a house, get married and have kids. Raise those kids to do the same, wash, rinse and repeat ad nauseam.

During my mother’s generation, schooling didn’t need to be completed in order to have a successful life, with many dropping out in early high school in favour of getting a job and starting their lives early. Such a thing isn’t COMPLETELY unheard of now, but it’s discouraged and even frowned upon in most instances, with even the simplest and lowest paying jobs requiring a high school diploma at minimum in order to be hired.

Why is this important and why am I bringing it up? Well, it relates to a phenomenon that’s caused a shift in societal view in recent decades. Although the expectation in the past couple of decades is that a person will not only attend school but see it through to graduation, there was a rising wave of belief that post-secondary education was the most valuable route to a successful life. That wave has crested and fallen in recent years, with many people acknowledging that a college diploma or university degree isn’t the “be all, end all” of a successful life.

Along with this changed perspective comes the enlightened view that not all persons learn in the same way. Some are visual learners, some need to practice and exercise the material themselves while others simply need to hear something once to absorb it. I think we can all admit to being a little jealous of the latter. The point is, that learning institutions are slowly coming around to the fact that one can’t expect to deliver a single curriculum to three dozens individuals and expect that they’ll absorb it the same way. Many schools have started to incorporate some of this forward thinking into adaptive learning for the students who may struggle or show difficulty in certain environments.

This also applies to the martial arts. Over the decades, I’ve come to understand that not all practitioners are created equal and not all students will learn the entire curriculum the same way. If we apply this principal to class in general, we come to realize that one-on-one learning with some personalization becomes necessary in order for the practitioner not only to learn the material but to apply it properly. Depending on the size and style of a given dojo, this presents SOME difficulty, although there are always alternatives.

When I was coming up in the ranks, it was common that most students wanted a piece of Sensei’s time. After all, he was the patriarch of the dojo, had “been there, done that” decades before any of us had, and was the image of the kind of martial artist we all aspired to be. But getting some time with him was usually difficult when held up against actually starting the class, teaching and coaching all the students and the awkward ask of having him stay on after hours for some additional coaching. All things considered, Sensei often did this for me and a number of other students.

Considering I never paid more than $25 for a karate class in my life, it was pretty generous of him when you consider that he was basically teaching us for free and our monthly tuition barely covered the month’s rent on the dojo. But there was one concept he maintained that was sound: I would never be allowed to move on to the next step until I had mastered the current one, which is likely why reaching senior belt levels took well over a decade as opposed to just a few years like some other dojos.

School teachers face an interesting challenge because students are generally MADE to go to school, whereas the majority of students in karate are there by choice. This makes teaching them somewhat easier, despite frustrations faced when dealing with aspects of training a particular students dislikes. If I take myself as an example, I was always more of a forms guy than a sparring guy. I never really enjoyed the fighting aspect, preferring the careful, meditative nature of a well-performed kata. So, Sensei trained me as such.

It’s important to tailor one’s curriculum to how the student will learn, and to help ensure that they absorb it, as opposed to force a cookie cutter curriculum to an entire group, expecting that everyone will learn it. Work on one thing at a time. yes, it’ll be slow as hell, but it ensures the roper progression of a student. It’s better for a practitioner to learn and absorb one technique properly and completely, than to learn very little of the entire art. Food for thought… ☯️

It’s Not Me, It’s You…

People can be cruel. I don’t think that’s a grand revelation, by any means but there’s definitely something to be said for how we, as a people, treat each other on a daily basis. Matters have been aggravated in recent decades with the inclusion of social media and the internet. As I’ve often voiced before, having the world’s information at one’s fingertips has some potential negative connotations.

I spent SOME time wandering the realm of social media as it often provides me with ideas on what i can blog about and I notice that people will often comment on things negatively, rather than simply scroll on by. This is perplexing to me, as I’ve always been taught that if you have nothing nice to say, you should say nothing at all. It boggles the mind how some folks will reach out and complain about even the most insignificant of things, often for the sole purpose of inciting hate or anger.

The kind of energy you put out into the world is contagious. One might almost say it’s insidious… working it’s way into other people that you direct said energy at. If you put out negative energy, it will incite negativity. And if you put out positive energy, it’ll likely have a positive effect. To moist, this concept makes sense, despite the fact that they will sometimes go on a rant or tirade that will adversely affect others.

The other side of the coin in this situation, is the fact that people will react in different ways to different things and that positive/negative energy will be absorbed as such. one good example is within the workplace. If one gets a “good job” from someone, most people will be motivated and feel positive from it. But if one is given corrective feedback or correction on something they’ve worked on or done, they’ll be inclined to feel slighted, belittled or insulted for being corrected on something they’ve done.

This brings about the concept that one can only control what one says and not how the other party reacts to it. however, it’s important to recognize that you’re ultimately responsible for the TYPE of energy you release into the world and whether or not you choose to make it positive. It’s easy to admit that there’s enough negativity and suffering in the world without intentionally adding to it. Maybe your don’t need to name-call that person online. Maybe you don’t need to comment on every little thing you don’t agree with. It’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay not to agree. But it’s also okay to let things go. You’ll be happier for it. Food for thought. ☯️

Spectators Have A Role…

As the father of two young boys, nothing would make me prouder than attending a sports event or extra-curricular activity to watch my kids in action. And I know that day is no doubt coming. Although Nathan i 7-years old, he hasn’t actively expressed any interest in sports or outside hobbies beyond playing with me, at home. But I’m sure it’ll happen eventually. It would be all the better if he joined me at karate, but I don’t believe it would be constructive to push him into that.

However, there are a lot of parents who DO attend karate classes to watch their children. And although some of it can appear dry or boring to a non-practitioner, adhering to dojo etiquette is almost as important (if not more so) for the parents and observers as it is for the children and practitioners who are part of the class. After all, those children and practitioners are looking to their parents and visitors as an example of how to behave, right? Here are some key points to remember when visiting a dojo as a non-practicing observer:

1. Remove Your Shoes: Okay, I get it… You’re not participating and the thought of removing your footwear in a public space isn’t for everyone. The takeaway here is that the removal of footwear within a karate dojo is not only a sign of respect but also a matter of cleanliness for the dojo. If it happens to be a rainy or snowy day or you simply drag mud and/or dirt in from outside, your causing an issue for the practitioners who NEED to be barefoot in the dojo environment;
2. No Food Or Drink: Although this one obviously makes sense for the students and practitioners, observers don’t usually give it much thought. But even though the thought of sipping on your favourite mocha-choca-latte with skim milk and non-fat foam while your child trains may seem like a reasonable idea, not only is the potential for spills and messes a bad idea, the smell of food can be incredibly distracting to someone who’s working hard at their training;
3. Get Off Your Device: Look, be in the now! If you’re there to observe your kids, then observe your kids. That game of candy crush can wait until later. Be respectful enough to pay attention and be present for your child or whomever you may be visiting with/for. If it’s a phone call and it’s necessary to answer it immediately, have the respect to excuse yourself out of the dojo to answer it, which brings me to my next point;
4. Keep Noise And Idle Chatter To A Minimum: This one is a personal pet peeve of mine and should go without saying but since I’m here I’m gonna say it, since some folks don’t seem to understand. Quiet while observing a karate class is a must, not only from a respect standpoint but from a training one, as well. Not only does karate require a certain level of focus and concentration, which can be broken by the distraction of a couple of Karens trying to decide who’s voice can reach the highest volume but it can be difficult to properly hear instructions AND is incredibly disrespectful. Conversation among the observers should be saved for outside the dojo, for break periods (if your dojo has them) or for after class; and
5. Be Respectful In All Things: I get it. Even if your kid is in this class or you’re visiting a friend or family member who’s a participant, this world may not be yours and it can be confusing and the rules may not be clear. That’s why it’s not only important to ask but once you know for certain, be respectful and follow those rules. Be seated only where you’re told you can sit and do no more than what you’re told you can do. Respect for the dojo and maintaining the ambiance of the environment can be critical for proper training.

Every school of martial arts is different and even two schools of karate may have different rules and protocols, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s nothing more embarrassing than getting kicked out of your 5-year old’s karate class because you decided to answer the phone and laugh loudly while chatting with someone DURING class. Not that I’m speaking from experience… Jus’ sayin’. But by clarifying the rules from the get-go, you can better ensure that you won’t cause unnecessary distractions or disrespect the rules of an art that holds respect as one of its core values. ☯️

Ah, Symptoms…

I scarcely remember life before I was diagnosed with type-1 Diabetes. bearing in mind that I’m in my 40’s and I was diagnosed at the age of 4 years old, that should be all that surprising. But I do have memories of enjoying certain foods with impunity, drinking sugared soda and being able to go to bed without getting poked by needles and wondering if I would make the night. And no, before anyone starts commenting, the aforementioned consumption didn’t play a role in my being diagnosed with Diabetes.

Although the content of some of my posts tends to repeat itself, I find that some of them are worth a reminder, every six months or so. I’ve written about Diabetic symptoms before, but it’s never a bad thing to get a refresher. This can be particularly important for folks who WORK with Diabetics, as not everyone is as forthcoming about their health in the workplace as I am. There a lot of reasons for this, including embarrassment. Some people are embarrassed at the prospect of divulging ANY health condition, but there’s often a stigma behind Diabetes where a good portion of the population assumes it’s caused by poor diet and lack of exercise.

I’ve always lived by the concept of full disclosure, choosing to divulge my condition and its potential symptoms and treatments, as opposed to claiming privacy or keeping it hidden. When it comes to a condition that could potentially kill me if something happens and no one knows what’s happening, I prefer this method to the alternative. But that’s just me; to each their own. But it’s good to recognize some of the outlying symptoms of Diabetes, in the event someone in your life may be diagnosed with this condition.

In someone who hasn’t been diagnosed, it may be noticed that they’ll have an increased thirst, increased hunger and frequent urination. In fact, these three symptoms may be the most common in someone who hasn’t yet been diagnosed. But body weight fluctuations, mood swings and irritability, fatigue and blurry vision will also appear. In children and even some adults, they may catch themselves wetting the bed in stages where they wouldn’t have done so before.

One would think that bed wetting may be a strange symptom. The problem is that since a Diabetic person doesn’t process glucose properly and creates that increase in urine (frequent urination, remember?), the strain on one’s bladder can cause wetting of the bed where there was none before. I know that when I was first diagnosed, I wet the bed for the first few weeks until my blood sugars were brought under control. The temporary solution was to have me wear a diaper to bed, which was SUPER fun for a 4-year old. But i digress…

But for someone with Diabetes, there can be different symptoms based on whether you’re experiencing high or low blood sugars. I should point out that these symptoms can also be subjective to the person and are not all-encompassing. For example, high blood sugars will cause many of the overall symptoms of someone who hasn’t been diagnosed. This can include thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, nausea and body pains. Someone may get close enough to you to realize that your breath also has a fruity tinge to it.

The increased thirst is the worst, in my opinion, since it causes what I call “the Diabetic Loop.” You have increased thirst and dry mouth, so you drink more water. This aggravates the frequent urination and makes it worse, having you running for the bathroom constantly. But you’re still thirsty, so you pile more water down your gullet. Rinse and repeat. It can be a particularly huge pain in the ass during the night when you’re trying to sleep but your bladder wakes you almost every hour.

If one is suffering from low blood sugar, they may experience or demonstrate symptoms such as shaking, sweating and pale skin. They’ll have difficulties concentration and may be irritable or even violent. This is a particular one because in my case, the irritability comes out when my blood sugars are high. Low blood sugar may cause confusion and numbness in some extremeties (I used to know I was low because my tongue would go numb, of all things).

The irritability thing is subjective but tends to happen because your brain needs glucose to function properly. This means that if you’re suffering from low blood sugar, your brain isn’t being fed adequately and may malfunction, for lack of a better term. It can cause a whole slew of emotional responses, most of them not good. I usually get angry, although I prefer to think it’s “hangry.”

If you have Diabetes, you can avoid many of these symptoms with a few lifestyle adjustments and being prepared. Exercise regularly, eat properly, get enough sleep and test your blood sugars often. Just doing these few things will go a long way towards ensuring you don’t have to do battle with a constant armada of Diabetic symptoms.

If you’re a friend, co-worker or family member of a loved one w you believe is experiencing Diabetic symptoms, the situation will always fall under two categories. If the sufferer is able to communicate clearly, he/she will tell you what they need or take care of it themselves. If they are unconscious or unable to communicate clearly, simply call 911.

Although opinions vary, I always advise people never to try and feed a Diabetic any glucose. Setting aside the fact that they could potentially choke on whatever you try and feed them, without knowing whether the person is suffering a high or a low, you run the risk of aggravating the situation. Better to wait for the professionals to arrive and deal with the patient accordingly.

If you choose to keep your Diabetes private, good for you. That’s your choice and you’re free to exercise it. Myself, I’ve discussed my Diabetes at length with my boss and my family, including what treatments I obtain and what preventative measures I take, as well as what they can do if something happens. It’s a hell of a safety net and makes me feel safer. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved, right? ☯️

Where’s The Quiet Place?

Something that a lot of people seem to sell short is the occasional need for good ol’ peace and quiet. And this can be an extremely difficult thing to obtain, especially in modern society. I recognized this issue last summer, when I was sitting outside in my garage on a warm, sunny day. Some birds were chirping, a light breeze was making the beaches of nearby trees sway and I was peacefully puffing away on a cigar (Yes, yes, I know! Bad habit! One problem at a time, people!)

As I settled into my moment of serenity, I began to notice an audible hum in the air. It was almost unnoticeable at first, like something fleeting at the very edge of my hearing. I slipped into a light meditative state and allowed myself to open up to what I was hearing. I came to realize that among the chirping birds and summer breeze was the background noise of hundreds of cars on the highway about a kilometre away, the rumble of a passenger plane passing overhead and various sounds of society and industry.

It took away some of the magic of my afternoon, especially since once I recognized it was there, I couldn’t “I hear” it. We live in a pretty quiet, suburban neighbourhood of our city and I usually pride myself on being able to get the aforementioned peace and quiet during the warmer seasons by sitting outside. But this post isn’t about noisy neighbourhoods, it’s about the need for quiet as a part of your life.

Surprisingly, many people are uncomfortable with the quiet, preferring a constant barrage of background noise and something to fill the auditory void, whether they’re watching television, reading a book or even trying to sleep. I, myself, use some white noise or Netflix to fall asleep at night. Although the white noise is perfectly fine and in some cases recommended, using a lit screen with a streaming service isn’t the best for a variety of reasons, but that’s one for another post.

The point is, occasional quiet is a good thing. It allows you to simply BE with yourself, something not a lot of people indulge in. The person who should you best is you and without being alone with your thoughts, it’s pretty hard to take that particular step of self-discovery. But even if you’re comfortable being alone with your thoughts, modern life doesn’t always allow for it. After all, as I always say, life doesn’t care about one’s plan…

I noticed how badly I missed having periods of silence when my wife and I recently put the baby down for a nap and our oldest was in the basement entertaining himself. The tv was off, she was reading a book and I was searching for something online through my phone. At some point, I realized that my breathing had slowed, I felt calm and the house seemed peaceful. I commented about it to my wife and I recognized that this is the kind of benefit that silence can bring.

There are some who may argue that once you are adept at meditation that you can do it anywhere, regardless of the distractions. While this is an arguable point (try properly meditating while your 7-year old is running circles around and screaming), some quiet will make it easier for you to do most things. Meditation will be easier, practicing karate is easier and simply letting your head cool while you contemplate the matters of the day will be easier.

Whether you enjoy the quiet or not, don’t sell it short. It can provide unspoken mental and physical health benefits and make the rigours of the day easier to get through. And if you’re in a situation where finding a moment of silence is difficult, there are ways you can still get a moment, whether it involves taking a drive to grab coffee or even staying up a bit later so you can have some quite time once the kids are asleep. Trust me, peace and quiet can be worth the effort. ☯️