Why, no, I am not married. And yes, I am also a black belt, but that's not the reason why. You see, not every man is afraid of a strong, confident woman as you seem to be.
Sure I could quit going to karate classes, but that would not suddenly enable me to find a husband. The thing is, a black belt is more than just a piece of cloth one wears. It is more than simply a rank one earns. A black belt is something you become. I can no more unbecome a black belt any more than I can unbecome a human being. Yes, one day I will die, as we all must, but that will not--cannot--change the fact that I was born and that I lived.
I can quit training. I can make an end to my karate life. I can put my gi and obi in a garage sale. I can even remove my wristband. But doing all that will not--cannot--change the fact that on a hot summer day in July 2006, I stood before a board of 5th, 6th, and 7th degree black belts and proved to them that I had what it takes. That I had the heart to wear this black belt.
Nothing can change that. No one can change my heart. Not even you in your ignorance.
Now that we've got that straight, let's talk about this "finding a husband" business--assuming I was even looking for one. If I hear you right, you are saying that in order for me to find a husband, I need to pretend to be someone I'm not. To pull the ol' bait-n-switch maneuver. This is something I will never do. I will never pretend to be anything other than who I am--warts and all. If a man cannot accept me as I am, if he cannot love me for me, then he does not deserve me.
If I cannot find a husband, maybe it's because there are too many men like you out there.
And no, I will not buy anything from you either.
.
3 comments:
OK...I want a "Paul Harvey," Becky. What's The Rest of the Story?
Well said, nonetheless, and I think I get the gist of it. And that pic of you and James is excellent, especially in it's full-size iteration.
One question...you and James have similar, yet different patches on your gis. Explanation?
You are absolutely right! Stand your ground (or mat)! Stick to your guns (or belts)! Not only are you an intelligent, gifted, young woman, your are very attractive. And you kick-ass too!
Pardon my French, but it loses something in the translation if you change that to something milder.
Buck, thank you. The explanation for the different patches is a simple one. Sensei started ordering them from a different patch maker. Mine is one of the older ones. The one James is wearing more closely represents what the original Isshinryu patch was supposed to look like, which is supposed to represent a fist. The shape of the newer patches more closely resemble an actual fist than the older ones. That's why sensei switched to them.
Lou, thank you very much. Your French is excused!
Post a Comment