Choose Strong
For Tim.
博文
(2023-09-06 11:24:14)
LaborDaymarkedtheendofsummer.Thedayswereshorterandnightscooler.
Theparkswerestillgreenandtheafternoonsunwasasfierceasever.
Lifewasgood,Billkeptremindinghimself.HisTuesdaystartedwithabrief
exerciseroutinefollowedbytwohoursofdictionaryreadingovercoffee.Toward
noon,hehoppedonthenorth-boundtrainwithhise-bikeandgotoffin13minat
MenloPark.HereachedtheRedwoodCitygymataquartertonoon,earl...[閱讀全文]
(2023-09-02 11:18:14)
AsweendedthelastroundofsparringinonenoonclasslateJuly,George,a
middle-agedbigstrongdude,asked:"Hurryingbacktowork?"Ittookmeamoment
beforeansweringsheepishly"Idon'thaveajobtogotoatthemoment.""Great!
Meneither."Hesmiledwidelyandindeedseemedtothinkitwasagoodthing.
Ididn'twanttobeidentifiedwithorbeattachedtoasport,oranythingfor
thatmatter,justli...[閱讀全文]
(2023-09-01 21:34:08)
Itwasoneoftherarehotdayssincesummer.Somewhereinlandawildfirewas
raging.Underahazysky,thebaldeasthillstookonabrightbeigeandloomed
behindaveilofdust.Thelazy,waftinglateafternoonwindbroughtnorelief
tothesluggishsouth-boundtraffictowardSanJose.ThankGodweareheading
north,Billthought.
"Welearnedaboutmarketingandfund-raisingforroboticstoday."Timwasjust
offhisrobot-building...[閱讀全文]
(2023-08-26 14:05:46)
IfirststartedpayingattentiontobreathingafterreadingJohnDouillard's
book"Body,Mind,andSport."Havingridofonequarterofbodyweight(Iwas
obese)at41,Ifeltlightasabirdandwasobsessedwithrunning.Theideaof
matchingstepsandpacewithbreathingfeltintuitive.Itrelaxedmeand,asIkeptatit,enduranceandspeedgainsfollowednaturally.Iespeciallyenjoyed
jogginguphill.Nomatterhowsteeptheincline,Ijust...[閱讀全文]
(2023-08-22 16:08:07)
AsBillsauntereddowntheCitizenshipisleofthistinylibrary,Barron's501
EnglishVerbs2ndEd.caughthiseye.Themomenthepickeditup,heknewhis
planforthenextfewhours,topreparefortomorrow'sjobinterview,wastoast.
Hisweaknesswasthelanguage.Oncelayinghishandsonadictionary-sized
tome,hewouldstarttocombthroughforunfamiliarwords.Itwasanitcha
beaverwouldhavefeltinfrontofatree.
"Itmus...[閱讀全文]
(2023-08-20 11:01:47)
"CanItakealook?"Peterturnedouttobenaturallycurious.Hehadaneasystyleandneverappearedself-concious,likeakid.Billlikedhim."Sure.Comeonin"hegotofftheladderandputdownthebrush:"andmakemeanofferIcannotrefuse."ThroughtheopengaragePeterstrolledin,passedthekitchen,andcameunderthepitchedroofofthelivingroom."Ilikethosehugepanes."Hepointedtothetriangulargablesabove:"...[閱讀全文]
(2023-08-13 09:57:42)
我有三寶，持而保之。一曰慈，二曰儉，三曰不敢為天下先。
慈，故能勇；儉，故能廣；不敢為天下先，故能成器長（zhǎng）。
Translation:ThreethingsareprecioustomeandIkeptthem.Theyarelove,
frugality,andnotdaringtobethefirst.Lovefillsmewithcourage.Ican
affordsharingwithothersbecauseImyselfamcheaptomaintain.Notdaring
tobethefirstallowsmetogrow.
MyUnderstanding:Ihaveneverdoubtedthefi...[閱讀全文]
(2023-08-05 11:31:33)
"Youshould'vebroughtyourson."
Perchingonaladderandapaintbrushinhand,Billlookedtohisrightandsaw
thelankyfigureofPeterTan,wholivednext-door,attheothersideofthe
boxwoodbythelawn.
Thehousesinthisquietresidentialareaonthebaysideoffreeway880were
builtinthelate60swithhalfadozenlayoutsforlow-incomefamilies.Except
foronesideofanendunitonablock,eachsharedwallswithitsn...[閱讀全文]
(2023-08-01 14:45:59)
Hehadneverthoughtpaintingagarage,ormanyotherdomesticjobs,couldbe anythingbutachore,tobedonewithassoonaspossiblesothathecouldget backtowhathewasgoodat.Nothingwrongwiththedivisionoflabor.Oris there? Today,threemonthsoutofajob,henoticedthatevensoakingtherollerinthe bucketandbringingittothesurfacewithoutdrippingpaintweredelicatemoves callingforthoughtandgoodtiming.Next,heplay...[閱讀全文]
(2023-07-30 07:54:37)
EllicametovisitfromAustraliaandwedrilledandrolled.Aslendergirlinher30s,shewaswiryandstrong.LikeAmy,shewasapurplebelt,agile,andaggressive.ShecaughtmeinrearnakedchokesacoupleoftimesandIhadalotoffundefendingandescaping.FromRickson'sonlinecourses,Ilearnedoneeffectivebutterfly-killerandhadbeenenjoyingpassingmyopponents'guardseversince.Ialsodrilledhisfour-pointpositionreversewhenmypartnerpushedf...[閱讀全文]
