Yes Man

As I blogged about over Christmas, I really identified with the movie Yes Man. I'm not a banker at a tedious job, but I feel like I might as well have been a year ago. How did the character shake up his life? He said yes to things he never would have imagined.

And so, today, I chose to say yes to something I desperately (DESPERATELY) want to do. In the deepest, darkest, moldiest, clammiest corner of my heart where dreams go to die, I've had one that won't let go: learning a martial art. Yes, I am reading your minds, "What the heeeell?" but allow me to explain.

I hate pain. I hate being sweaty. I have a mortal fear of having my nose broken. I hate being dirty. In general I hate moving. I'm out of shape. I've been overweight for about as long as I can remember. My ankle is still healing from having had a twice-broken leg. I may be too big to have a uniform. I may sputter out and die my first lesson. I may not own enough ibuprofen to get me through. I have this long list of irrational reasons why not to learn taekwondo. (A word spell check thinks is so ridiculous for me to use in my blog it would like to replace "taekwondo" with "Wonderbra.")

But people always discuss the merits of learning a martial art. The one that speaks to me is having higher self-confidence. Maybe I won't be afraid of every little thing if I feel like I could defend myself. Maybe I wouldn't hide behind Baskin Robbins. And then... Maybe my nose WILL be broken, and I'll still survive. Maybe after the first month, I'll feel good and won't need the ibuprofen.

So, in the land of taekwondo, where your average six-year-old could kick my ass (yay for arms longer than their legs!), I say yes to sit ups, sore muscles, sweating, and doing something for me. Yippee!!

On a side note, a boy tried to ask me to lunch, but I already had plans and he didn't want to feel like a third wheel. Aww. It's the second week in a row he's asked to do something. It may be platonic, but I still find it touching.