I was watching my kids do karate last night and an interesting thing happened.
One boy became overwhelmed at not being able to do the same kata, a set of movements that simulate a fight, that the others were doing. He'd only had his new belt for a few weeks and this was his first time doing that particular kata. This boy, E, was so frustrated that he cried through the entire exercise and had to sit aside to collect himself. While he was sitting, Sensei explained how this was something he still had to learn and not to worry, to take it a step at a time. What happened next made his point wonderfully.
Level by belt level, each group got up and were told to perform katas that they hadn't learned yet. This went on through Red, Green, Purple, Blue, Brown and, finally, the lone black belt in the class aside from Sensei. In each instance, there was at least one student who had no idea what they were doing and would run into other students or even have a foot stepped on. The class would burst into laughter. Most of them were under 10 and amused by the fact they weren't the only people stumbling and unsure. Even our new black belt was lost.
I drove home and commented to my own boys about what an interesting exercise it was.
It proved the point that we are always learning - even when we've achieve the pinnacle of our chosen activity or career. If you've stopped learning, it means that you've stopped listening or paying attention to the world around you.
As writers, we are constantly learning. The "rules" are frequently changing, the market fluctuates and we have to learn to adapt. Not to mention the world is our palette from which we can choose what to write about and colour the pages we fill with prose.
Don't stop listening. Don't stop paying attention. And, whatever you do, don't give up.
You will learn.
Diane Bator
One boy became overwhelmed at not being able to do the same kata, a set of movements that simulate a fight, that the others were doing. He'd only had his new belt for a few weeks and this was his first time doing that particular kata. This boy, E, was so frustrated that he cried through the entire exercise and had to sit aside to collect himself. While he was sitting, Sensei explained how this was something he still had to learn and not to worry, to take it a step at a time. What happened next made his point wonderfully.
Level by belt level, each group got up and were told to perform katas that they hadn't learned yet. This went on through Red, Green, Purple, Blue, Brown and, finally, the lone black belt in the class aside from Sensei. In each instance, there was at least one student who had no idea what they were doing and would run into other students or even have a foot stepped on. The class would burst into laughter. Most of them were under 10 and amused by the fact they weren't the only people stumbling and unsure. Even our new black belt was lost.
I drove home and commented to my own boys about what an interesting exercise it was.
It proved the point that we are always learning - even when we've achieve the pinnacle of our chosen activity or career. If you've stopped learning, it means that you've stopped listening or paying attention to the world around you.
As writers, we are constantly learning. The "rules" are frequently changing, the market fluctuates and we have to learn to adapt. Not to mention the world is our palette from which we can choose what to write about and colour the pages we fill with prose.
Don't stop listening. Don't stop paying attention. And, whatever you do, don't give up.
You will learn.
Diane Bator
No comments:
Post a Comment