<h1>Pugilism! Who knew?</h1>

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.

I don't know if Thoreau's quote is applicable here, I am not that much (if any) of a scholar. However, when I read this quote, it brought to mind something my boxing guru said to me, "We keep repeating the combination in order to create new pathways in our brain. You will be stronger for it."

I have never dwelled on my PD, probably because (touch wood) the drugs work so well on me that outwardly, I am symptom free, but at the boxing club that I joined, I see people in far worse shape than I, and my diagnosis was long before some of their diagnoses.

In spite of their diagnoses, each person is not consumed by PD; rather, they see the good things in their lives as they happily bash away at the heavy bag. I was surprised to realize, my life became brighter as I got further into the sport.

Yes, I called it a "sport". At one time, I thought of boxing as two brutes try to destroy each other. Primitive. Man, was I wrong. The punching combinations are challenging. Saying "jab, cross, hook, hook, uppercut" is easy to say, but try doing that over and over! After, about 10 sessions, I am actually able to do it about 5 times in a row before my brain turns off. I can understand now why my father, a former champion in the Canadian army long ago, would sit in his chair in front of the TV and bob and weave as if he were one of the pugilists on the screen.

It is going to take me awhile before the pathways are cemented into my consciousness, but on the way, I have met some fabulous people who have reinforced some aspect of my future, I have discovered I am not alone, and I have a new sport to add to my catalogue of righteousness.

To my instructor, who was the founder of the local chapter of "Rock Steady", thanks for the insight and the chance to box my way to a freer life.

After that catharsis, I think Thoreau's comment is bang on ("bang"? Do you get it?)