Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Eyes on the Silver Lining!

At 1:30am on April 11 — as if we didn't have enough going on in our lives — a drunk driver rear-ended my wife's car as it was parked in front of our house. He impacted hard at the driver's side rear and then scraped down the entire driver's side. Our car was forced 10 feet forward into the car parked in front of ours: broken rear axle, smashed bumper, dented rims, torn side panel, crumpled hood, burst radiator... I could go on and on, but I'll sum things up this way: The car was totaled.

Thankfully, we were all sound asleep at the time, and no one was hurt; even the driver who hit us was unharmed: both his airbags deployed. Probably saved his life, as he must have been going about 40 mph when he hit our car.

Since the accident, our lives have been in chaos. No one needs this kind of headache right before our "latest addition" is scheduled to arrive (new baby Gould we be here on or about April 26!). The accident came right on the heels of us replacing (by necessity, not out of choice) our refrigerator, our dishwasher, and our furnace, and the purchase of some not-so-inexpensive-but-badly-needed new furniture. And now we need to go car shopping.

Sheesh.

There's other "stuff" going on in the background, too, like the broken (vandalized) mirror on MY car and our recently vandalized fence, and the gutters that need repair, etc., etc. Trying to keep a positive attitude.

On the positive side, we're about to have a new baby! We weren't IN THE CAR when it got hit. We're healthy, with all the food, clothing, and shelter that we need. Our friends and family have been fantastic.

In short, there's ALWAYS something to complain about and ALWAYS something to be grateful for. And I know that what I put my attention on will increase and expand.


Friday, April 9, 2010

Thoughts on Bullying in Boston -- And What I'm Doing About It

What happened to Phoebe Prince was an absolute tragedy. I find myself getting more and more angry as more information about the case comes to light, such as what I read today in this article. So much more could have been done. So many people failed to act or did not heed the warning signs. As a martial arts instructor, my #1 job is to give people the resources to help keep them safe. This includes my karate students, of course, but also the kids, parents, teachers, and other people in need who I'll NEVER EVEN MEET. That's one of the reasons why I'm developing the "Boston Self Defense" online community.

Please join me and other people in greater Boston who want to help develop resources and spread information about safety and self-defense.

Bullying is REAL. It happens in person, and increasingly, it's happening online in the form of "cyber-bullying." There's a ton of antibullying information readily available, and there are many instructors out there who are capable of bringing information to our community. Let's get connected. I myself will be going to a school in Sommerville this morning to speak to a group of children about bullying: what it is, how to prevent it, and (most importantly) what to DO if one is being bullied or witnessing an act of bullying.

I'll report back soon on how today's training goes. If I may be of service to you, or to anyone within your sphere of influence, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sensei Jason Gould
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts
617-202-3856