Author: Carl Setzer

I’ve seen life’s frivolousness, the extreme fickleness of fate. A randomness haunting life. This uncertainty drives many to fear. Me? Connection: my drive is to connect, deeply, richly. Not simply awareness of Facebook updates (or Facebook’s kin). Rather to comment, engage, share: whether that’s humor, insight or compassion. An actual presence, of which we both are aware. Friends and family: this matters most. If, at the end of our life, no one cares, or worse, our death generates a feeling of relief, a release from the miseries we’ve inflicted, has our life any value?

For the past few years, taekwondo has been my main side activity. The only larger pieces of my life have been work and writing; perhaps it’s tied with photography. So, I thought it good to share some of what I’m experiencing here.

Most delightful has been weightloss. I’ve managed to drop around 20 pounds since I started. This is more than the martial art, as I’ve worked hard to increase my fitness level, but it has been the central activity. And I’ve developed better balance and strength.

My whole family participates, so it’s been particularly joyful. Plus all three of us have developed good friendships with our fellow students.

So, I leave you with a few things I’m most proud of. Above, you see my red-belt test results. And, below, is a video of my board breaks for the same test.