“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played.” — Alan Watts
I’ve started calling myself the “eternal beginner” at parkour class, a title which would have annoyed and upset me two years ago.
You see, two years ago I was just starting out and I was really impatient to achieve and ‘get somewhere’ fast. Reading back on this blog my impatience is almost tangible.
I’ve now done a 180 degree turn and am almost too patient.
Or not.
Because I have learned to enjoy the journey and have stopped obsessing about reaching goals.
So I watch calmly and happily as new people join the class and quickly surpass me in terms of skills and technique.
I am content hanging with the beginners, sometimes offering them advice on how to achieve moves I have yet to master myself (those who can’t do, teach… as they say) and it’s all good.
I may never be able to do most of those moves, but if I sit back and reflect on what I’ve achieved in the last two years I’m pretty happy with where I am on the journey.
The biggest lessons I’ve learned have been mental ones… philosophical ones.
Parkour had changed the way I live and how I see the world around me. It has (re)taught me how to play and just enjoy moving, in any way I can.
I have learned to fall, both physically and mentally… and I have become acutely aware of (and comfortable with) my limitations.
To quote Sebastien Foucan’s book, I really am learning to find MY way.
[video]
[video]
duvy9 asked: How is your training going. I started about a year ago and I am 34. I about gave up after an injury, but decided that I was falling back into bad habits of existing and Parkour is truly something I want to do. :) Glad to have found you!
Thanks for making contact!
It is going very slowly but I love it… I also injured myself so much early on that I’m now over-cautious which makes me progress much slower. I’m also one of the oldest people in the class but we all have our different strengths and weaknesses.
Tell me more about yourself… where are you based?
#parkour
[video]
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” — Chinese proverb
