10-05-02 AGORAPHOBIA REPORT - Went Tate Britain Art Gallery...
MrUK4U
Wow, this was a really eventful day for me, Friday 10th May 2002...
Having already brought myself a 7 day travel pass a couple of days back. I
wanted to make sure I used it...; and, not just wasted it...; by going out 1
day, then, staying in for all of the rest of the days(something I'm very prone
to doing, I'm afraid)!
LAMBETH COLLEGE - BRIXTON CENTRE/
SIGNED UP TO DO TRAINING COURSE ONLINE
My first stop was to go off to Brixton Centre college. To do a Learn Direct
induction course...
...this is a new goverment backed training scheme...where people are given the
opportunity to learn using their computer at home. But, first, in order join
the scheme...you have to register at an external local Learn Direct
centre(which in this case is Brixton centre). I signed up to do a C++
programming course for beginners...the normal cost of the course would be
around £98.00...(but, is FREE of charge to unemployed people like me). I stayed
at college all day...doing the course on the college computer...until around
3:00 pm when the college closed.
RENEWED TATE GALLLERY MEMBERSHIP/
SO, I CAN SEE PICASSO/MATISSE EXEBITION
Also, I decided to go and renew my membership to the Tate Gallery(Tate
Britain/location: Pimlico in London). I knew there would be a Matisse/Picasso
exebition coming up. And, as Picasso is my fav. artist in the whole wide world,
I just had to go see it, tomorrow...it runs from 11 May-18th Aug, I think?! I
also love the work of Matisse, as well. And, nothing quite beats seeing the
artists work in the flesh, so to speak...as opposed to seeing art works merely
in books...where it's been shrunk down to size to around 2 or 3 inches...and,
maybe, is being shown in black & white...instead, of the normal color...too
photographs have no texture, atall!
SAW A KUNG FU SIGN
As I went along to the art gallery on a number 3 bus...; I noticed a sign on a
building saying Kung Fu. So, as another one of my fav. hobbies is to study (or,
watch) martial arts...therefore, I thought to myself I just must go and give
this thing a try as soon as I get back from having joined the art gallery.
Well, I paid for my art gallery membership fees...cost me £58.00(40.00 for
normal yearly membership/18.00 with private evening views being included, as
well)! Then, I walked down over the River Thames bridge...truly, enjoying the
view...; and, off towards where I saw the sign, Kung Fu.
MET A KARATE TEACHER
I saw a Jamaican martial arts teacher there sitting in his car...who told me if
I wanted to see a class in action, then, I should turn up at around 7:30 pm.
The time was 6:30 pm...so, I had 1 whole hour still to kill.
TIBETEAN MONASTRY - IN LONDON
I went walking through a park off Lambeth Road...I think, it's called
Archbishop Park(or, something like that?!); at the other side of the park...I
found I'd ended up at a Tibetean Monastary -can you even believe it??? Well, I
certainly couldn't!!!
I was really curious about getting to discover what went on inside of a
Tibetean monastry being located in London?!
Well, when I went in there I found there were loads of shoes outside...; and,
people had gone into a very large room with loads of seats much like a
theatre...; there was a robed guy -(Tibetean, I think?)- sitting at the front
giving speeches.
Anyway, I didn't want to stay too long...so, I didn't listen to all the guy
said...instead, I just walked around the halls...collecting info., and,
leafets. I figured, I can come back here, anytime, another day. But, I knew I
didn't wish to miss my appointment.
WENT TO VIEW A MARTIAL ARTS LESSON/
KARATE
Just past 7:30, I left the Tibetean monastary, and, walked back to the Adi
center...on Lambeth Road. There I rang the button marked GYM...and, was let in.
I, then, went upstairs to view the martial arts lesson. It is a karate
style...(hard-striking/as opposed to soft-throwing/holding).
The class was small...consisting of just 3 people + the teacher, making a total
of 4 people, altogeather. Mixed sexes...2 male(teacher/pupil)...and, 2
females(both students). Mixed rank...the teacher was black belt,
obviously.../and, 1 black belt girl student. The other students 1 girl/1 boy
were both white belts. (I like seeing white belts as that means I won't be
feeling like I'm the one, and, only idiot in the entire class!)
They all started to run around a large rectangle room -(with mirrors, at one
end)- in order to get themselves, properly, warmed up.../and, finally, did
stretches.
Then, they practiced lots of attack/defence movements on air...including
fist/palms/fingers/kicks/-etc. And, also, practiced katas(formal dance-like
fixed patterns of Karate movements).
Oddly enough, I didn't actually see very much sparring going on-which rather
tends to worry me...how can you truly learn to fight if you don't spar much?!
Though, the teacher did engage each student on an individual basis...to show
them what the movements they were practicing on air was meant to do. Like this
hammer fist (bottom of fist) movement is meant to attack temple/or, break
clavicle/-etc. That was as far as the sparring side got.
At the end of the lesson, the teacher came and asked me if I wish to come back,
again. I answered, yes, I would like to try a class...to see if I can keep up
with all the rest of them. And, he said, I should bring along £16.00 as my
joining membership fee...(classes are, in fact, FREE/but, you have to register
yourself as being a licensed Karate practicioner). And, because I had already
told him I'd dropped out of all of the martial arts classes I attended,
before...; he said I should make the effort to turn up, regularly.
Well, at the end of the night, just as I was leaving...; another wholly
unexpected thing, suddenly, occurred to me. I saw the black belt girl walking
out of the gym...; and, I asked her which bus did I need to take to go back to
my area. She said she would give me a lift in her car...as she was going the
same way. So, I got in her car...and, she drove me nearly all the way home.
When we got near her road...; I got out, and, took the bus -which we saw right
in front of us- all the rest of the way home.
CONCLUSION
Been a really great day for me. I love days when something DIFFERENT happens!
And, where I can get to discover, and/or, do lots of entirely brand NEW things!
Otherwise, I tend to feel the whole entire day went all completely to WASTE!!!
I also find myself thinking...now, what would have happened if I'd decided to
stay in at home all day/night long, instead, like usual...how bored I would
have been...how wholly dissatisfied/and, hating myself for not having taken the
opportunity to go outside...too, how sad, guilty, and, ashamed would I be to
have missed each of my appointments(college/art gallery)?!
Life is what we do choose to make it to be...namely, one gets out of life
exactly what one chooses to put in. Get up, go out there, and, try to
socialise...and, you do end up getting somewhere. But, just staying in at home,
all the time...endlessly complaining that your life is in a right mess, and is
always going absolutely nowhere...doesn't get you anything more than a feeling
of being in pure 100% sheer misery!
Also, I'm delighted I went out, and, got some fresh air...by taking a fairly
long walk. Quite frankly, my body feels pretty
terrible...slow/heavy/stiff/sluggish/weak/uncordinated/-etc. But, the good
thing about it is...I know, that over sufficient time...if I do enough
walking/jogging outside...my health will improve, again...and, then, I will be
able to easily handle doing, at least, a 10 mile walk.
The martial arts is scarying me, though. I'm thinking should I go back to my
old Aikido club? Or, should I go to this new Karate club, instead? Maybe, I
could try going to both(or, would that be too much)? Also, because, the 2
martial arts styles are totally different...one soft/one hard...that, too,
makes it very difficult for me to decide what to do next. But, my guess is...I
might try turning up for both...simply, because, I like ALL styles of martial
arts...and, so find it very hard to stick with doing only one, alone. I've got
to have plenty VARIETY, in other words, otherwise I get dead bored!
Anyway, whichever art I decide to practice...the main thing is I'm TRYING to
get back into studying martial arts, again...as it's my one and only way to
keep fit, quite happily, doing something I'm actually very deeply interested
in...and, at 39...believe me I desperately NEED to keep fit...it's no longer a
choice, but, now it's fast becoming a total necessity! Otherwise, my whole body
is going straight down to nothing...
Also, at 39, I guess, I'm never going to be in truly top shape, anymore...not
like somebody who is 21...; I have premature arthritis of the knee joint/and,
chronic sciatica back pain/short sight/-etc....; but, I can still try to be in
the very best shape I can be for someone of my age/current limitations/as well
as, current physical abilities.
The main thing is to just decide to NEVER GIVE UP!!! Keep hoping to improve,
and, eventually you will get up, and, actually, DO it. Keep DREAMING...even
when you FAIL/or, give up, temporarily...don't sit there thinking this is,
truly, the END...don't quit on chasing any of your DREAMS...because you do OWE
that much to yourself...you're, well and truly, WORTH it! And, if we make -or,
have previously made- mistakes...then, we all have the right to be able to
IMPROVE...try, and, TRY again...keep on trying until when you do, eventually,
SUCCEED!
Bye4now!/BEST wishes, always!/-Paul(UK/London)
PS: Have a NICE day!
;-)