Balance

It never seems like there is enough time to do all the things I need to do. I know I am not the only one to feel this way but sometimes the stress of knowing what needs to get done with the limited time I have to do them feels overwhelming.

I was supposed to be done all my projects for the year with the exception of maybe a week in Whitehorse sometime before December. That changed when a new project popped up and I was asked if I could go. I didn’t need to say yes, but being a contractor, it would not be in my best interest. So of course, I said I could go. What that means for me, is I have a week home and then I will be gone for another 12 days again.

The stress comes in from the list of things I need to work on at home that keep getting pushed off. I also like to get to the Kwoon as much as possible which cuts into my time at home. What I realize from this is even after all these years of travelling for work, I still struggle to maintain a balance in my life. Sometimes I have to make sacrifices in my life and it is never an easy decision on what to sacrifice.

Morning Coffee

I was able to make it to our Sunday morning coffee chat today and I was glad I did. I have been feeling very disconnected this last little bit due to being away so much and not having the ability to attend classes through Zoom. We just talked about life and how things were going for each of us (some more than others today – sorry for that).

What I also find interesting about these chats, is I don’t think we offer talk about Kung Fu or our training. It is just a casual chat about anything happening in our lives or our past lives. I have learned a lot about everyone there and it helps reestablish the connection to the Kwoon and my own training. So thank you all for attending ands to those who have attended in the past.

Realization About Life

I don’t really know how to start this but here goes. My planned flight on Sunday had a medical incident on board soon after takeoff. I knew it was not good as they came to the back of the plane to get an AED and we were told we were returning to Edmonton as there was a medical emergency. They also asked for any paramedics or firefighters to come forward which is a serious situation. Once we land, we are told to remain seated and allow paramedics to do their job. After a few minutes, they leave with the person on the stretcher and 5 minutes later we are asked to deplane. Once off the plane, there is a Police Officer there and I just know it was not a medical emergency anymore.

We waited for about an hour before they told us our flight was cancelled and we would need to rebook. This is where it hit me. There were people cursing and getting really upset by this and I do understand to a point but someone had jus died on that plane. How do you think the family of that person feels. So it is an inconvenience to you, but you get to carry on with your life and you just need to rebook a flight.

In all the flights, I have taken, this was the most serious thing that has ever happened. And it made me realize that all the things I am stressing about lately are really minor when you think about it. So I haven’t practiced my forms enough, I haven’t finished that work project yet, my plans have to change now. At the end of the day, I still get to work on these things and still get to see the people close to me in my life. Just remember that life is short and you never know when it will be your time to go.

Frustration

I was at the Second Degree Brown Belt Class on Saturday and something that I observed made me want to write about it. I think that frustration is what has held me back or limited my growth at times. When you are not sure what someone is asking of you or you don’t know how to fix what they are asking you to fix, it can be extremely frustrating. I am not sure, but I believe there was some frustration in the students.

It took me a long time to understand things that were asked of me years ago and at the time I got so angry about it. I now realize that you can’t fix it in a single class, but it may take years to fix it. I guess the point of this is to remind myself that you need to just understand there is something you need to work on and it is something that will take time. You will not fix it immediately but you need to not get frustrated by it. I think I am better at this now but I still think frustration creeps into my training.

The Kwoon

It has been a whirlwind since I got home and it will not stop until mid September I think. One thing I am disappointed about is missing the Kwoon renovations this year again. I have had so many memorable experiences in the past and I enjoyed every moment I spent doing them. I can’t explain why, but you definitely feel more at home in the Kwoon when you literally put your blood and sweat into making it a place for you to train.

Even though I will be gone for most if not all of that week, I am still hoping to contribute somehow or someway as I feel it is important for me to continue to put my time into this project. How, I am not sure yet but I will find a way and so should anyone who is a student of SRKF.

Pictures of the North

Just thought I would share some more pictures from my travels for those who are curious.

This is a picture from Greenland in the Bay by the airport

This is a picture from the minesite I was at there.

This is a picture of a herd of Muskox from the minesite I was at in Nunavut

On the subject of work, I just had three more projects come up which will take me to September 9th. My attendance at the Kwoon from now until August 15th will be hit or miss. From the 15th of August to September 9th, I will be out of the province again and am unsure if I will be able to attend online even again. I will try and get some pictures while I am away and and am hoping to get some practice in on the shores of the Artic Ocean in Paulatuk NWT or maybe the banks of the Mackenzie River in Norman Wells.

Where My Work has Taken Me.

I am still in an area with no WIFI but am once again "borrowing" some from the government building here. I was going to talk about how working away is hindering my training but I then started to think about where this work has taken me and the things that i have got to see and experience. I am going to list some of the places I have been for work and feel free to look them up so you can see where I have been.

In the NWT I have been to Enterprise, Hay River, Kakisa, Fort Providence, Behchoko, Yellowknife, Gameti, Wekweeti, Lutsel K'e (currently), Sambaa K'e, Fort Simpson, Tulita, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson, Aklavik, Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok and Sachs Harbour (furthest North). These are the communities that I have spent multiple days working in. I have also been in Deline at the airport and driven to the outskirts of Whati before driving on an ice road for 6 hours to Wekweeti. In these places I have seen Wolves, Black Bears, Bison, Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears and Muskox. I have been on twin prop planes, helicopters and float planes as well as numerous Ferries crossing the Mackenzie River.

I have also worked at a Gold Mine called Hope Bay in Nunavut just south of Cambridge Bay on the mainland coast and I have been in the Kugluktuk for a couple of hours waiting for our plane to offload its cargo. While at the Gold mine, I saw hundreds of Caribou as well as Seals, Narwhals, Wolves, Wolverines, Muskox and Grizzly Bears (14 in one area all at once).

My work has taken me to the Yukon where I have worked in Whitehorse and 3 remote mine sites. Minto mine which is just South West of Pelly Crossing. Hecla which is close to Keno City an old mining Ghost Town (almost as there are a few residents still. And Ketza River, an abandoned gold Mine Soth East of Ross River. In the Yukon I have seen Elk, bears and a Lynx.

My work has taken me to Greenland via Iceland. To be able to see Icebergs and waterfalls and experience the Blue Lagoon is something I may never have done if my work had not taken me there.

So does it suck to be away so much and miss so many things at home? Yes, but if I look at the big picture, my work has allowed me to travel all across Northern Canada as well as Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Ontario and I have seen things in the wild that most people will probably never see. Looking at things lately has made working away a lot easier.