But seriously,
I do change my mind quite a bit. For those of you who only know "Quicksilver"
as one of the many films in which Kevin Bacon has starred, quicksilver
is the common name for the metal mercury. I'm no scientist, so if
you want to know more about mercury I suggest you go look
it up. For those of you who are mythologically-minded like myself,
Mercury is the Roman name for the Greek god, Hermes. (He's the messenger
of the gods, but also the god of science and commerce, patron of vagabonds,
rogues, and thieves.
So, what is it that I can't make up my mind about? My major in college,
for one thing. I've run the gamut of majors. It would probably
be faster to list the things I have not majored
in, so if you don't want to wear your eyes out you may wish to skip down
to the next paragraph now. I began college as a Math major, but when
I took a Statistics class (and nearly failed) I decided that math just
wasn't for me. Next I took up Spanish. After all, I had four
years of Spanish in high school, and if I want to teach, Spanish is a subject
that's certainly in demand right now. Well, the Spanish class they
stuck me in was much too easy, so I got bored. I decided that I wanted
to add French to my repertoire, and I decided to double-major. So,
next I grew tired of languages in general, and I majored in Art History
for a few weeks. Next was Philosophy, followed by History.
Then I switched back to Spanish, and now I'm majoring in Humanities.
(And this time it's the minor that will most likely keep changing.
For now, I'm minoring in Asian Studies.)
Let's see.
I'm a big martial arts fanatic. (Could you tell?) I can never
decide which style I want to study (see Quicksilver),
but that only means I've studied a variety of styles. I began with
Tae Kwon Do a good number of years ago. I was introduced to Aikido
when I studied Moo Duk Kwan very, very briefly at the University of Central
Florida. (MDK basically blends TKD and Aikido.) I attended
all of six or seven class at UCF because I had changed my mind. I
went looking for someone to teach me Aikido alone, rather than a mixed
style.
I didn't
find anyone, mind you. I found Sensei Gerrald, though. Or I
should say Gerrald found Charlie, who introduced him to me. Charlie
and I studied with Gerrald, learning Kenpo Karate, Aikido, and more advanced
techniques in Tae Kwon Do. We both earned our black belts from Sensei
Gerrald before he moved out of state, and for a while we continued teaching
his classes here in his name.
Please allow
me to straighten out a common misconception. Most people think that
once you've earned a black belt in a martial art, you are a "master."
Well, I once thought that, too. Then I earned my belt, and I realized
just how much I don't know. Anyone with any experience will tell
you that a black belt is only the beginning. It means you are ready
to really start learning. It takes a lifetime of study to become
a master, and only a few gifted individuals ever reach that high status.
Is anyone
else hungry? I see these pictures, and all I can think of is the
old Saturday Night Live skit "Samurai Delicatessen."
Do your
eyes hurt yet? Well, I'll spare you any further details about me.
('Cause honestly, I can't think of anything else to write.) If you
really want to get to know me, just browse through the pages of this site.
Everything that's here is here for a reason. I love languages, so
I have a Language section. I love art,
so I've created a Western
Art Archive, which is now a separate site altogether. The list
goes on and on. Just click the little monogram in the corner to go
back to my main page, or you can use the "Main" link in the navigation
frame below. There is a great deal of information to be found
here, so please take advantage of it!
If you actually
bothered to read this much about me, please write and let me know.
I'm curious to see just how many people are really going through this section.
We'll set up a code. The password is "Swordfish." That way
I'll know you were really here. (Thanks!)