Bad Start, Good Finish

This morning on the way to class I nearly got into an accident. What
the hell? I was not mentally alert, and began making a right turn on
red with the oncoming traffic making a left at the same time. It was a
struggle to get out of the house on time and I showed up to class 5
minutes late, which I hate. In fact, I almost thought about blowing it
off completely, but this being my only opportunity to practice this
week, I couldn't miss it.

Once I got on the mat, however, it was all better. Sensei started us
off slowly, as we had a new beginner (yay!), and it being 7AM I'm pretty
slow to begin with. I also like to hear the beginner explanations of
techniques, the underlying principles, as I have forgotten a lot of
these little details over the years.

I was fortunate to take ukemi (falling) for Sensei twice today, a treat
for me. By the end of class I was awake and felt good. This is how it
should be.

Then there was last Friday's class, weapons, which I have little
experience in, especially sword work. I had the feeling I was not quite
getting it, and it was a bit embarrassing. In morning class, you cannot
hide! There were only 3 of us. It is a challenge to be a beginner.