What the UBBT has done for me

So, what has the Ultimate Black Belt Test really done for me? I wrote a draft for this entry on paper and ended up scribbling out most of it. I can't seem to come up with a combination of words that seems to portray the gravity of what it has done for me. When people I know ask me about it, it's the same thing, it just doesn't come out sounding like it means as much as it does.
Life changing sounds cliche, but that's exactly what this last year has been. Physically I am in the best shape of my life, I am capable of doing more than I ever thought possible with my body. I have pushed it past the point of exhaustion so many times this year. How many times have I forced myself down to do push ups when I felt like I was just not able to do anything more than fall into bed? I realize that although the physical requirements help get you into shape that isn't the point. It's about doing them when you don't feel like it and when your tired. The UBBT has given me that discipline.
The acts of kindness have taught me how to be mindful in my everyday life. I am more organized, I've had to be or I wouldn't be able to get anything done in a day. I have really been forced out of my shell this year. I have done so many things that I've never done before because I thought I wouldn't be able to do them or just kept putting them off. How many people can say that? The UBBT gave me the confidence to try things and also took away all the excuses I had. Although I will not fulfill most of my requirements I couldn't be happier with how this journey has gone.

I'm actually a senior citizen

Another really busy week, not that there are any other kind these days. I have joined the lion dance class on Friday nights so I'm there every day except Saturdays now. Lion dance was really fun this week, I actually got in the head of one of the lions with Sifu Behringer as my tail. Even though I kept messing up my stepping patterns, was not in time with the beat at all and my lion probably had that duh! look because I forgot to keep it's mouth closed, it was great. As a tail my head kept poking up too high so there is lots to work on.

I had acupuncture for what I thought was carpal tunnel syndrome. The acupuncturist thinks it is something to do with a nerve bundle in my neck... thoracic something, I can't remember what it's called darn it! Basically I have strengthened myself one sided so now there are muscles pressing on the nerves and it's making my hands fall asleep and causing pain etc. I am supposed to go back in a week for another session and start doing rowing exercises.

I went to the doctor today for a suspicious spot I have, turns out it's not suspicious it's an age spot. I guess I am old enough to be getting age spots. I also confirmed with her I have a hernia, what with that the kidney stones and now age spots, I feel like I am turning into a 70 year old man! So my abdominal muscles are separated (probably from being pregnant) and that's why this is happening. I don't know if there was an actual event or a gradual series of events that caused it. Unless it gets worse I am OK as I am, no surgery needed, hurray! She told me that strengthening my abs will help. I laughed...how does 50,000 sit ups sound?

Acupuncture

When I first started doing all the push ups for the UBBT my carpal tunnel syndrome started to get really bad. I could only do a few push ups and my thumbs and first two fingers would fall asleep. I bought myself a wrist brace and continued with the push ups. It actually helped a lot. I had no symptoms as my muscles got stronger and as my wrists got used to the position.
Since starting full time work at the barn the increased workload has been terrible for my wrists. There is very little I can do without my hands falling asleep and weakness in my right hand. I no longer sleep through the night as the pain wakes me up frequently. Days that I do a lot of pushups are better, my aunt was telling me that stretching your wrists helps so I think that must be why.
Tomorrow I am going to my first acupuncture appointment to see what he can do for me. I am hoping there is something I can do besides have the surgery to make this go away. I think the surgery is something like 6 weeks of not using your hands too much... I'll do it if I have to but I really don't want to. So, I'm excited to see what he has to say and hopeful it will help.

One day mute

Today was my one day mute. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be, of course. That's the point. For one, I talked a few times... I said sorry to Mr. Gamble when I landed on him instead of over him, I said this isn't a cat stance? I also kinda yelled in traffic and I said I'll... to my daughter. I said ouch too.
I did the warm up for the kids class tonight, Sifu Wilson told everyone I was mute for the day and away we went. It worked out pretty well. At least they were all paying attention anyway, they kinda had to.
There were some funny moments, I'm trying to pantomime something and Adrien says what, Timmy's in the well? Ha ha. I smacked him for that one.
So I went out and did errands today and at the beginning it wasn't too bad. A few people thought I was sick and were really helpful. At one place a salesperson came over and asked me a question that I could answer with a nod and then I did the sign language thank you to him. He actually backed away a few steps and said "okay then" I felt a little like I was contagious or something. I don't think he was being rude, I think he just didn't know what to do with me. At the grocery store it was really busy and it was hard to negotiate my way through crowded aisles without being able to say excuse me or sorry when I was in the way. A lot of people won't make eye contact so the smile and wave I was relying on to ease things along didn't work very well. The clerk seemed annoyed that I was not communicating in a way that pleased her, again she wouldn't really make eye contact so I couldn't do my whole I can't talk thing.
I felt isolated for a lot of the day. Speech is a powerful tool and without it I felt a little helpless. I felt like some people assumed that I had less than normal intelligence. By the time I got to write something down on my little pad of paper it wasn't relevant anymore.
All in all a really eye opening experience. I just put my kids to bed and I think all our good nights were a little more meaningful because I had to show them that I loved them instead of saying it. The hugs were a little tighter and I felt a little teary putting all that love into a hug. There are advantages to communicating without words.

Tick Tock

So a few people have blogged about how there are only eight weeks left to UBBT 6. Crazy. It actually went by really fast. It doesn't really feel like it's ending since I'll be going right into 7. I don't know if I am going to succeed in all of my goals. I realize now that some of them may have been more than I expected them to be, but I am still trying to make it and hopefully I will. I need to go back to my original list and make sure I haven't missed anything. I still need to do my deaf, mute and in a wheelchair days. I suppose I need to find out about getting a wheelchair. Maybe you can rent them? As always time seems to be rushing on by with no regard for those of us squandering it. I have to be ultra vigilant with writing down my acts of kindness, I am behind in this mostly because I have days that I don't write them down and then they're lost forever, well, I suppose I still did it which is good, but it doesn't count in the numbers sense of things. So I plan on picking up the pace for the last two months and finishing UBBT 6 with a bang.