Pressure

You know, when I first got the idea of doing a blog, I thought it would be a neat no-pressure thing. Just post and go; anything and everything I want to mention, just mention and move on. But for some reason, it hasn't worked out that way.

It's the same sort of self-imposed pressure for perfection that kept me from getting many dates as a high-schooler, kept me from being able to speak Korean (as opposed to reading it) in the Army, and keeps me from finishing a ton of writing projects. I want to speak, but often don't unless I a) have something to say, and b) can say it correctly. I have trouble throwing caution to the winds, having fun and letting myself perhaps look foolish in the process.

On a more positive note, I have been more active in sending out writing submissions, and I did something the other day that I've long toyed with doing, so I feel as if I'm making progress. Granted, two of the submissions were rejected almost immediately, but oh well. The other thing I did was to hang up a heavy bag for punching.

I've thought about getting myself a punching bag for a long time, but I was afraid to try to hang one, and besides, they're so damned expensive. But I got over my tool fear (easier since changing out my shocks and springs), and just went out and did it. I knew I had to screw the hook into a support beam. I thought about using the old tried-and-true method of using a hammer (which I'd never really done, but I'd seen it done), but then I noticed Mom-in-Law's electronic stud finder, so I grabbed that. After I'd drilled four dry wells, with the drill bits coming out wrapped in insulation, I decided to go Stone Age (okay, Iron Age) and revert to the hammer. BAM! First try. But then I had to switch from the battery-operated drill to the one with the cord to get enough power to drill into the beam. And by the way, if the drill is set on "reverse," you're going to be waiting a long time for the bit to go anywhere.

For the punching bag, I used Patrick Swayze's field-expedient version from "Roadhouse." I used an old Army duffel bag, stuffed with old uniforms and other clothes, hanging by a rope from a D-ring. I still need to stuff it a bit more, to make it heavier so it won't swing as much, but it's fun to hit. I bought handwraps and bag gloves from a sporting goods store and took it for a test drive the other day. I'm looking forward to incorporating more boxing training into my workouts. I want my body to look like Sergio Mora's from The Contender. Okay, I'll never look like that, but I can only look better, right?