Journeys

This is an excerpt from Adam Driver's TED Talk called "My Journey from Marine to Actor" (full video here).  I was hypnotized by how articulate, engaging and thoughtful he is.  Nearly all of my family (foster and biological) served in the military including my birth father (USMC), foster father (USAAF), foster brother (Army), foster brother (USMC) and so on and so on.  Many of my close friends from high school served as well, and I regret not having been able to join them.

I am probably the first male member of my family since the US Civil war to not serve our country.  That said, much of what Mr. Driver said resonates with me deeply.

Like Mr. Driver, I grew up in the Midwest and struggled hard to find my purpose.  I failed many times along the way until my dreams began to come true.  His were at Julliard, mine were in Japan.  Likewise, we both discovered ways of disciplining our lives via belief systems anchored both in tradition and practicality.  His via the USMC and mine via martial arts training.

He mentions the importance of learning to articulate and express his feelings through training in acting school at Julliard.  In my case, although I also acted in public theater as a child, I later joined ToastMasters and became a public speaker for many of the same reasons.  This has helped me cope with the many strong emotions in me as a foster child and paved the way for me to forgive others (and myself) for my childhood traumas.  Learning to talk it out is very, very important for mental health.

In the end, our journeys naturally lead us to discover ways of giving back, as part of the gratitude we have for all we have received.  Mr. Driver has been very active in promoting artistic expression for service members and their families.  In my own small way, my teaching is a way of "paying it forward" for a lifetime of support the martial arts and its community have given me.  I am sure we share the same feelings of pride and joy when our efforts open up new perspectives for others and give them new tools to better themselves.

Huge Respect for you, Adam Driver.  You are welcome at my house for dinner anytime.  #teamkylo