A seasonal message

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Thom Cate

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Dec 25, 2011, 2:09:57 AM12/25/11

to UCDFC, nc...@googlegroups.com, Brandy Anderson, Shauna Anderson, Christian Franklin, Preston Thomas, Hien Ha

Dear all,

Some 2000-odd years ago a man was born with what today seems a pretty straightforward message: "Be nice to each other," he said, and, "Don't worry--it will all be OK."

He was not the first to think these were good ideas, he wasn't the last, and I suspect others will share this same message in the future. Tonight, however a significant fraction of Earth's people celebrate the birth of this man whose main mission in his short life was telling people, "Hey--don't suck."

(I'm paraphrasing here, work with me.)

History tells us he was likely born in September. Fine, whatever. After he died, many have done horrific things in his name, in theory to honor and glorify him. This confuses and appalls me.

But the message--love one another--remains the same, no matter what others have done. That message is the one I hope you will all share with those you love, and who love you back this night and this season, when we truly celebrate light returning to the northern hemisphere, when the days grow slowly longer, the sun grows slowly warmer and the land wakens from its slumber, having dreamt of love and wakes bursting into the song of springtime.

Until then, we fence.

And even as we strive to stab each other metaphorically on the strip, let love be our rule. Let us strive as equals among equals, entering our respective salles des armes with these words: "I'm not the best fencer here. But I want to be." And let us each work to accomplish that goal with a weapon in one hand and love in the other.

Because without love, we're just fighting. With love...it's fencing. It's love, you see, that makes the difference.

And I love you all.*

Very sincerely,

Thom

Thom Cate, M.S., Mon. F.

Department of Science, Christian Brothers College Preparatory
Head Fencing Coach, University of California at Davis

President,
Northern California Intercollegiate
Fencing League

Member US Fencing Coaches Association

Thom Cate loves good friends, fencing, science, wine, women, song, a sweet bike and a bangin' good book. Vive l'amour, vive la guerre, vive l'école d'éscrimeurs!

"He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad...." - Sabatini

"Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Fencing's important to people who do it well. When you're fencing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting." (With apologies to Harry Kleiner and Steve McQueen)