17 Tournament: Second Try I

Today I am in my A-game! Totally fit and overpowered. I dodged left and right, defended against those fast and heavy fists. Even though they are ripped and strong to the extreme today I am just too fast. No kidding here I might be the fastest woman alive! After dodging his right swing I used his momentum and puööed him over my shoulders and lifted him from the ground. With a loud cry I threw him down and just as he fell right in front of my eyes I used my knee and...

"Arn! "

I heard my mother calling me. Surely she was feasting her eyes upon the glory her daughter is about to bring her.

"Wake up!"

What?

"Wake up, Arn!"

A... dream? ...Of course, it was just a dream.

I sighed and lifted my body from the bed.

"I am up, mother."

"You really slept like a log today. Normally you would wake if I make just a simple move. Just what did you do, yesterday? I hope you still have enough energy for the fight today."

Well, mother. I used my head yesterday and tried to remember something from before I was born and yet I did not have the satisfaction to try out my craft. Pretty vexing wouldn´t you say so?

"Nothing much, mother. Just some wandering around in the woods."

She looked at me with one brow raised. Yeah, I also did not think that I am a good liar mother, but I really can´t explain to you that I was crafting the weapons this village seems to detest so much.

"Alright. Keep your little secrets. Come and have some breakfast."

She was already roasting some meat and some eggs.

Why do we have eggs today, too?

"What´s the occasion?"

She turned and gave me a somewhat sly smile.

"You see I was also wandering around the forest yesterday and I found some very annoying birds around. So I killed them and plundered their nest."

So mother was in the forest, too? What a relief that I did not run into her yesterday...

Or did I?

My mother burst out laughing upon seeing my worried face.

"You really need to train your awareness more, Arn. Even the animals did notice my presence and almost all of them kept far away from me, but you did not even notice!"

She began humming happily and sang a song of a foolish hero who did not notice he married the murderer of his family. Of course, the story ends in his victory, but there are quite some lessons to learn from here, if you were motivated to do so, of course. How did that one theory go again? Talents, Environment, and self-control? It was a pädagogik principle that suggested the three factors for an education. Talents are what you are good at. The environment is what is possible or impossible due to factors like money, social structures, politics, paternal decisions, religions, etc. And self-control means the motivation of the subject to change or invest energy into learning or training. In this case, I would think that there is talent for intelligence and some learning materials in the songs and stories, but everyone is so focused on gaining strength, that they ignore the lessons their own stories and songs tell to a terrifying degree. Normally only teenagers can choose to ignore real life, right Ichigo abridged? But in this village, everyone seems to be an eternal teenager. Well, I wasn´t any better in my previous life, and in this one, I am still not so sure... after all, I often ignore reality by dipping deep into my thoughts and...

"Are you okay, Arn?"

My mother eyed me worried. I didn´t even notice that she was holding out a bowl of meat and egg.

There! What did I just say?

"I am alright mother, just some strange thoughts."

She shook her head and took her own bowl.

"You really need to stay with your head in the here and now, Arn."

She took some of the meat and began munching on it.

"Plans and ideas are nice and all, but if you neglect everything else just because of them you will end up dead far sooner than I would like."

Wow! My mother just called me out because of my silly thoughts? What a rare occurrence, but she is right, of course. After all, dreams do not achieve change in reality. Only actions can do that. But actions without a plan achieve nothing either. But they do bring change at least, just what kind of change is unsure.

"Eat, now!"

As I was told I began eating my chicken breakfast with eggs. Aren´t I a good daughter doing what I am being told and all?

Wait! Shouldn´t we wait with the chicken for dinner? Or does my mother know already, that I will fail and that´s why there is chicken for breakfast?

Just kidding! I know that she doesn´t know about the saying: Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

After breakfast, we left for the tournament grounds in the middle of the village. Just as last time the villagers were really motivated to beat drums, tell stories, and singing just generally hyping up the mood. They really love their drums... Well, the drums and their deep voices are truly a marvel to witness. I really like this sort of song and even though most stories are actually educational, I can´t seem to notice anybody taking any notice of that... What a strange bunch of people, right?

Though I am not one to talk...

I was a believer in God and Christ, yet at the same time, I would encourage everyone to take some self-defense lessons. What was it again? If someone slaps your right cheek...? But first of all, martial arts were fun! Well, they still are fun and secondly, I never said anything about fighting for yourself. I was often baffled why people just stood by and watched as other people would suffer even though all the bystanders were so numerous. For example, I read in the newspaper, how a woman with a child was attacked in a city and only one person came out to defend her. Subsequently, he was attacked next and ran for his dear life and all the people around them just watched. All of them! If just ten would have taken a stand that one man would have had no chance even if they did not train in self-defense. Yet they did not. Mind-boggling isn´t it. The man and woman could have sued them because of a law called: Failing to provide assistance. That is an actual thing where I am from, even though everyone seems to forget it... always.

So yeah violence is bad, but remember there is a bible verse in 1 Peter 2 that says to adhere to the laws and order of every human institution as they are the ones to punish the evil and bring praise to those who do good.

But to do that without endangering yourself is the priority, of course. And as I was never in such a situation I can actually just give some random advice. Just take self-defense lessons and be ready I guess?

Who knows what I actually would have done if I ever had to make such a choice? Probably just ran away like the coward I am.

"Arn!"

My mother lightly slapped the back of my head.

"Get your mind out here, now. We have arrived!"