Sorry...what was that?

Tomiyama Keiji sensei, watching me make a mess of things

Someone asked me recently why I included a story in my book 'Redemption' about failing a promotion test? He said he thought he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear what I had to say...just to confirm it. Oh boy!

So I told him....I said, "I included that story to show how people often develop a sense of being much better than they really are. And how they can convince themselves (in spite of the evidence all around them), that they 'know' what the reality of their situation is."

In the story, the amount of progress I thought I was making in karate was nowhere near the level my seniors thought I was making, and as it was their opinion that counted, being confronted by that came as a big shock.

"That's not what I thought you meant."
"Really"
"Yeh, I thought you were just trying to show how much harder karate was back in the 70's."
"Really!"
"Well what else was I supposed to think?"

"I guess you know a thing or two about karate then...and life too, right?"
"I think so."
"Yes, I bet you do."