Gracefully

My parents never let me take up karate. I was involved in other things like church and softball my whole childhood and when I got into jr high I played four sports and stayed involved in church. So I'm not complaining that I wasn't involved in things, just incase you needed the clarification. Although I never took a karate class in my life I know that they teach you that you should not use karate for anything other than self de-fence. I may not have learned karate but I did learn the concept of only fighting when it's unavoidable. Through out my school years I would love to say that I did an excellent job of making sure I stuck to that concept but there were moments I failed at it. In elementary school I fought so much that I almost got sent home for lunch time because I got in fights pretty much every recess. I was trouble. I cleaned up my act though (I had a very healthy fear of my parents). I fell off the fighting wagon in8thgrade when I got into a fist fight for a boy who called me names and I got angry, I slammed him into a locker and then he punched me in the face (there's still a little dent in the bone surrounding my left eye). It took 4 guys to hold me back.

I became a little less physical but would still fight. I can be pretty stubborn so sometimes it seems like I am fighting when really I'm just being stubborn.... all that to let you know... I am learning to master the art of karate. No I am not taking classes or googling how to videos. I am learning to NOT FIGHT, unless it's unavoidable. Although there are things that I strongly believe in and people who I would do ANYTHING for I am learning that not fighting and bowing out gracefully is what HAS TO happen. Sometimes there are moments or situations where people, places, or things are worth the fight and sometimes bowing out is the best thing youcan do for the situation. Life has handed me some messed up circumstances that I have had to live through. Moments which I would not wish on even my worst enemy, but they were the hand I was dealt so I've been playing the hand and doing my best to just stay in the game. Recently I have gotten hit with some stuff from left field and well it's affected me. My fight instinct came out a few times and it wasn't always the best answer. So I made a decision in the last few days with certain situations... I will bow out gracefully. I will although it will legit rip my heart out in some circumstances walk away and not put up my dukes. I willnot fight, unless it is unavoidable and it is without a doubt worth the fight. There will be no fight for people who don't deem me to be important in their worlds. There will be no fight for people to see me the way I think they should. There will be no fight for anything other then things that are worth the fight. I will learn that basic principle of karate and not fight unless it is unavoidable. I will bow out gracefully.