So one of the things I'm going to tackle is my fear. And to do so requires courage.
This was a quote I remembered from Princess Diaries, but apparently it's from Roosevelt. All the more impressive I guess.
Basically what I've done is pick something I know is within my limitations here at university. So I choose to confront pain and embarrassment, through joining the Jujitsu club. (It's a Japanese martial art, not to be confused with Brazilian style jujitsu.) I thought that by joining, I could maybe overcome some of the fear that has become part of me. I always watch those dramatic moments when somebody realises that they have overcome their weakness through fighting, so I thought: let's try that.
The purpose of jujitsu was to bring balance to my life by unbalancing me. It's a wonderful paradox. But that's all on paper. I did not expect it to be what it was.
Jujitsu involves a lot of pain. And I thought the worst part would be getting hurt. It's not; it's hurting other people.
Administering pain takes more courage than receiving pain. I'm pretty sure with the amount of screw-ups I've had by now, nobody wants to be my partner. Controlling how much pain you give is not pleasant, neither is it easy. There's a reason why there aren't many black belts floating about.
Joining meant a commitment (which I am also afraid of) but it also meant being part of a group. I have been alone for so long I thought it would be awkward to blend in with other people. But the positive side of me thought it would be a good idea to join in the socials anyway, try to be approachable. I maintained this outlook, until I met - I can't even say it. I've been laughed at so many times for being unable to utter that damn word. It's what you call a senior/upperclassman in Japanese.
He was - is still - very nice. And he made me feel cared for. He's honestly the reason I joined (but I'll never tell him that).
He kept talking to me even though I was afraid of opening my mouth. He reached out, literally, to take my hand - just to look at my nonexistent muscles. He shared the same interest in poetry as me, which was a pleasant surprise. I feel like I took advantage of that so I concentrated my all on training. No matter where I was on the mat, I would always keep my eyes away from him.
Thus, began my days of physical and mental torture, where I humiliated myself by being unable to do a back roll and then staying silent while everybody else around me sang and danced. I would wake up in the morning for lectures and feel my back straining. Sometimes I would end up with a lace of bruises around me. I kept slamming my head on the mat too - likely that didn't bruise.
For our warm-ups, everybody gets into a circle to practice break falls and I would always be in the center, for everyone to watch as I failed. I mean, you could say it's an opportunity to overcome my fear of self-consciousness. Or you could say it's just cruel.
But honestly, I'm sure you guys don't care about the specifics of jujitsu and my ongoing training. The truth is, I'm not either. You might think I'm being disrespectful, but this is a step forward in my journey to find myself.
I, for the first time in my life, am going to ask a guy out.
I know. It's stupid. It's not even a milestone at my age, but I'm scared anyway. I even thought about getting drunk and just calling him. It might make it easier.
My heart is thumping just thinking about it. I've decided I'll ask tomorrow. Utter rejection is a step in the right direction, so is surprise acceptance. I need to keep in mind that I'm just asking him out - I'm not asking for his hand in marriage. I need to calm down.
I feel really immature and ugly today. I feel dumb and superficial. I feel tired.
I want somebody to do everything for me. I want some response, you know? God, I'm praying to you if it counts. Please, let it be.
So how much do you guys bet I'll chicken out?
I can't think like that, huh? I just have to go out and do it. At least you guys can be sure that I'll be documenting this as I go through it. And please, do feel free to give me advice because I sure as heck don't have any for myself.
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