With HUMBLE Thanks...

[Jenna]

Please forgive me for this I just need some outlet to say I have been SO very greatly inspired in the last week by what I have read here on the boards and received by mail from some absolutely incredible and amazing MT members who give to me freely of their time and advice and just friendship and camaraderie with no ulterior motive and gaining nothing for themselves and I will not say who for fright of embarrassing them but as is put on the CD covers of all the best bands.... you know who you are! and I just want to say to you THANK YOU for showing me the way to be

And anyway there is a point I want to make even if I sound like a big silly Gwyneth P blubbering at her ceremony but I do not even care and so regardless of what some people in CERTAIN quarters think of MT being “touchy feely” and yes you have prolly seen THAT article bout us MT members and staff on THAT site last week pffft! but I could care less I will say if you have ANYTHING to be thankful for today would you PLEASE say here and so I do not imagine I am the only one in the whole world who is grateful for something and so I do not imagine I am the only one in the whole world NOT wanting to run everything into the ground and NOT wanting to be as George Orwell had it the "Boot stomping on a human Face Forever" and you can mock me for this if you wish I am an easy target maybe but I have seen much of this derision lately and by way of redress if you have a humble word of thanks for anything or anyone please say because to say a sincerely meant “thank you” for someone or for something or anything will lift your mood and this I promise absolutely if you believe it.... try it prove it and defeat any cynicism about it that may reside in you

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[tshadowchaser]

as a member I can safely say that there have been a few times in the past where the membership of Martialtalk have reached out their hand in friendship to me and I will forever be grateful to them for that
We have some great people here

 

[theletch1]

It is my belief that the path we all undertake with the martial arts should be taken with an eye to becoming better human beings. I guess being seen as "touchy, feely" means that we're reaching that point. Bob advertises this as a community and I think that he's done one hell of a job at creating that. The folks here at MT have listened to my rants, answered my questions and helped me grow a great deal. I AM thankful for the site and the great folks here.

As Jenna has asked for ANYTHING that we are thankful for I'll add that I'm very thankful for my fiance making a big deal out of my 36th birthday. I haven't celebrated one since I was 16 or so! Made me feel like a kid again. I'm healthy (thanks to my acupuncturist), am employed (grudging thanks to my boss) and happy (thanks to too many people to mention).

Oh, yeah, thanks to Jenna for this thread.

 

[Martial Tucker]

Please forgive me for this I just need some outlet to say I have been SO very greatly inspired in the last week by what I have read here on the boards and received by mail from some absolutely incredible and amazing MT members who give to me freely of their time and advice and just friendship and camaraderie with no ulterior motive and gaining nothing for themselves and I will not say who for fright of embarrassing them but as is put on the CD covers of all the best bands.... you know who you are! and I just want to say to you THANK YOU for showing me the way to be

What you take in this world, you can never keep. But what you give, will come back to you ten-fold......

 

[Swordlady]

And thank YOU, Jenna, for joining the MT community. I am grateful for the many wonderful people I have met on this forum - you included.

 

[Jenna]

You will think me trivial and fanciful but anyway I said a genuine thank you to my super chinese-takeout delivery man earlier this evening for how courteous and efficient and prompt and pleasant he always is to me and he is a wonderfully cheery little oriental gentleman who noticed my dragon inked on my wrist and well I found he is a longtime KungFu and QiGong guy which I had to google and he gave me a can of Sprite for free from his cooler and so what does that mean in the scheme of things? .. nothing.. this should be normal transaction between people but I look around on the tube here and around the shops and everyone stares at their shoes and minds their business and no one has the inclination to care about anyone else and so if I can say thank you sincerely and not platitude to someone maybe the checkout lady at a store for helping me pack then I can straightaway see a difference in them because like my little KungFu delivery gentleman he has a little smile to himself and goes on with things and maybe even he will pass it on a little word of thanks to someone else and what is wrong with that

And I will say further that I think there is POWER in gratitude and not thanks as platitude but genuine thanks that is merited and I will share something that I have thought and I believe for anyone who can say a genuine thank you to their enemy for showing them how NOT to be for showing them exactly where the right path is and where the wrong path is well then I truly believe that their enemy is worth thanking! and but this gratitude would be piety if it was not meant sincerely but to say thank you and MEAN IT is the thing that brings the power to you and I hope that makes sense

And I want to thank all my Aikido guys here who never stop pushing out the sides of the box and whose dedication and stupefying skill and whose caring hearts are as unceasing an inspiration to me as all my friends I have made here on this forum

and one last .. it would be very remiss of me not to say thank you to my dad who is my touchstone to reality and never lets me down ever not once

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[MA-Caver]

Being rude, hurtful and spiteful to someone hurts only that particular someone...

Being polite, kind and grateful to someone blesses everyone.

Jenna, thank you for you. :asian:

Here's a kiss from a friend...

 

[Jenna]

Being rude, hurtful and spiteful to someone hurts only that particular someone...
Being polite, kind and grateful to someone blesses everyone.

Hey my extreme sport friend these are very clever words thank you and this little puppy awwww can I take him home? Can I can I? look at him he just wants a little attention and a scooby snack maybe awwww you give yourself away Ralph my friend you are a big softie behind all your jangly metaphorical chainmail armour ha! but I am indebted I will say it is all fuel in the tank ..every drop

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[pstarr]

Having visited other forums, I must say that I am truly thankful in finding MT - the folks here are serious about what they do and they seem to genuinely care about each other. Other forums sound as if they're being ravaged by a bunch of children...

I think the true martial arts practitioners, the ones who have looked beyond the superficial aspects of their arts and into the heart and spirit of what they do, recognize that we really are one large family. We may argue a point from time to time but MT seems to be full of people who regard each other as family.

 

[terryl965]

Jenna all I can add to the wonderful post of your and everybody else that has chimed in, is this I came here with arm open and mouth shut and in return they have grasp me with open arms and held me tight and have enlighted my soul more than I could ever repay. For all of you please accept the Thank You with ne further statement and my prayer are with each and every member on this board.
Terry Lee Stoker
A servent of Martial Art

 

[Jenna]

Jenna all I can add to the wonderful post of your and everybody else that has chimed in, is this I came here with arm open and mouth shut and in return they have grasp me with open arms and held me tight and have enlighted my soul more than I could ever repay. For all of you please accept the Thank You with ne further statement and my prayer are with each and every member on this board.
Terry Lee Stoker
A servent of Martial Art

Hey Terry my enlightened friend and yes exactly as you have said you have been grasped with open arms so in turn do YOU grasp with open arms the people who are new and the people who come to your school and train with you and whom you teach and to do this is to show honestly and without any ulterior motives that YOU CARE and this is a thing that all the money in the Bank of England can never purchase but yet at the VERY same time it can be given away freely and this is a paradox but one we do not even need to understand if we can just act on it.

Thank you for sharing this

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[Last Fearner]

I too would like to say thank you to you Jenna for bringing up this wonderful topic, and sharing your own personal insights.

Now that you mention it, I stop and think . . . I am really thankful for my life, and my good health . . . . I thank God for my wonderful sons who are the best blessings in my life, and for my wife, who puts up with me being on the internet at all hours of the night.

I am thankful for the students who come to my dojang to learn, and the parents who are very supportive of me, and my efforts to build a really good school.

I am also thankful for the individuals responsible for creating this MT forum, for it does give serious Martial Artists an opportunity to share, debate, and build friendships, which are the best kind of ships in the ocean of life!

I agree with "pstarr" about the other Martial Art forums out there! You hit the nail on the head there, my friend!

Thanks to all of you for putting up with me! My confidence can sometimes come on too strong, and I appreciate all of you not being offended if I disagree with your personal views, or state my own with such boldness.

Cheers! :cheers:

Darwin J. Eisenhart :asian:

 

[terryl965]

Hey Terry my enlightened friend and yes exactly as you have said you have been grasped with open arms so in turn do YOU grasp with open arms the people who are new and the people who come to your school and train with you and whom you teach and to do this is to show honestly and without any ulterior motives that YOU CARE and this is a thing that all the money in the Bank of England can never purchase but yet at the VERY same time it can be given away freely and this is a paradox but one we do not even need to understand if we can just act on it.

Thank you for sharing this

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

Jenna to answer your question simply YES to all of them and by the way I'm also thankful that everyday I get to read some wonderful post by you!!!
Terry

 

[Drac]

and friends wonder why I RAVE about this place and encourage them to check it out, the above posts say it all...

 

[Jenna]

Thank you all for sharing these so unconditionally I am uplifted to know there are so many who are grateful even for one person or just one small thing.. you guys are an inspiration I will say

and well I am silly I know but I am making little ground with a serious face on and so I will say a little silly thank you for my little white musical companion Isaac the ipod ha! who I could not be without and who speaks for me when I do not have the words and who always has le mot juste to help me to understand myself better and who cheers me when I am sad and really who lets me know there is on earth at least one voice who feels as I do about the thing no matter what the thing is and this is a validation for me

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna
and I need to say quietly thank you mum wherever you are and whatever you are doing and I only hope somehow you would know how very much I miss you and I hear the song and it reminds me of you... When I do something like you you'll be on my mind or through, cos I forgot you left me behind to remind me of you.

 

[Drac]

"Friendship is everything..It is more than talent.It is more than goverment, it is the equal of family..

Mario Puzo's
The Godfather

 

[bluemtn]

I'm thankful for Jenna for bringing up such a wonderful subject! So, where are you at now? Home? Or are you still travelling? I have to say also that I'm extremely thankful for my family- we've gone through A LOT the past 2 years (some good, some bad, and some both at the same time). Also that we're all healthy in my family.

 

[Explorer]

I'm quite new here ... but it feels like home. All the people here ... even when disagreeing or even frustrated refrain from the nonsense I've encountered on other boards.

I'm thankful for the excellent work the moderators do. They help keep things on track and move the conversations along. Because of their dedication we all can grow and learn ... this is certainly part of the martial way.

 

[Jenna]

Thank you again to all who posted and my friend tkdgirl thank you for asking I am home... and away again.. and to all who read I hope this made sense a little and this is nice because I have another chance to bump this and I have been thinking on what was told to me earlier this morning and which I know one clear and foresighted mind has already posted in this thread and is already wise to

and if I could say without sounding shouty or even cheeky ... I do not think it pleases people sometimes to be thankful and I think it is seen as an UNNECESSARY thing to be thankful because often we imagine we are DUE a thing and OWED it being SO knowledgeable always now of our our rights and what we see anyway as our entitlements and we see all our rights-to and entitlements-to and we think.. Why would I be thankful for something which is duly mine anyway? Well this is my opinion and which is not to say it is correct..

and so if I was able to make a request of even one person who might stop to read this it would be to ask you to say thank you to someone you love because no matter how virtuous and deserving you are maybe there are things which are rightful to no one but given as gifts and to say thank you for being you to someone you love is the highest thing of all to say

And I will suggest one other thing which is again my opinion only which you can disregard as you choose.... to say I love you is to silently ask a question of the person to whom you say it.. but to say thank you for being you is the same without asking for ANY recompense from that person and is one of the peaks of altruism.. and I hope that makes a little sense.

Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna
thank you all.. be strong