Welcome to Naked in Public, a blog where you will get to follow the musings of a man, stripping down his everyday persona, searching for the root person within, with designs on ultimately transforming into a better person. Most of you who will read this blog probably know me already, but just in case, I am Eric.
Back in 2004, I made a very significant decision, although at the time, I did not know it. During that time, I was well immersed in a career that I mostly enjoyed, and I was experiencing what I considered then to be some "success". I was however, working a lot of hours, and I began searching for something to do that would help get me off the couch during my off time. As a athlete for most of my life, I was used to being engaged in some type of physical activity, so I decided to look down that road for an outlet.
In the past, high contact activities were my preference, having played hockey, football, lacrosse, wrestling, and even some karate, so I began to look for something that would fit that mold. With my strength and my mean streak, I had found real success in many of these sports in the past, so why not again in the future? I decide to look at getting involved again in some type of martial art, and so I began to search.
Knowing me, the way I do, I knew up front my challenge would be in taking instruction. I have always had a very high opinion of my own intellect, and typically had proven to myself to be quite adept at almost every undertaking I engaged, so I knew that I could prove to be a difficult student for a teacher to have. Furthermore, at that time, I knew for me to be a "good" student, I had to have a teacher I respected. Tracing all the way back to my elementary school days, I found that the years I did the best in school, were the years I had a teach who I respected. On the years that I had a person in search for a paycheck, standing in front of my classroom, I typically found myself more often than not, occupying a seat in the principal's office, as I was dismissed from class for having been disruptive.
What this all meant to me was that I has to find someone "real", who I could respect, in order for me to find satisfaction with my choice in activities. So I began to search the Tampa Bay area, and I began to talk to some teachers at various schools. Early in my journey, I found a bunch of people who I knew would not work for me. Most of them I considered "fake" or "shallow", and I knew it was not what I was looking for. This continued for over 5 months, until my quest brought me to Quest, where I met two men who were very different.
To this day, I still cannot quite put into words what it was that drew me so strongly to the Quest Center, but I can say the feeling I had was nothing I had felt before, or quite frankly since. The schools owner, Mark Russo, and the head instructor John Giancarlo, both far exceeded my expectations, and I found myself to be a very eager student.
Now all these years later, I find myself still a student of these men, but for very different reasons. Back in '04 I wanted to find something physical to do, and hitting other people seemed like fun.
Today, things are much different. Often times when I hear Mark Russo talk about what we do, he mentions that the physical aspects are actually only a small component of what we teach. He is exactly right. As you progress along this "path of the warrior" I have found that I have become exceptionally proficient at "breaking apart bodies", but more so, I have found myself wanting to become a different, more complete person. These desires drew me further into the art where I found the physical aspects to be a mere metaphor for the daily battles we engage in called "life".
More than a martial art, this is a life art, and it has left me striving to become a happier, more successful version of myself. To this end, I have continued to engage in the studies this art offers. Today, it is these life lessons that keep me coming back for more.
As I continue to study and learn more about myself, I find that I am gaining more an more insight and enjoyment through engaging others in these discussions on life. Other folks who also are traveling the path have keen insights that they often offer which I find to provide me great perspective. Even those in my life who may not be engaged in this study are sometimes great muses or mirrors from which I can learn.
That my friends, is what this blog is all about. This will be a forum for me to share my thoughts and feelings as I continue to learn about myself on this journey. It will be an opportunity for me to learn for those of you who choose to engage me in discussion about the topics posted. It will be an opportunity for me to practice some of the lessons I am being taught.
Those who know me would attest that the idea of sharing my feelings is not my cup of tea. The idea of emotionally exposing myself in such a public way, to both friends and stranger alike, is downright petrifying to me. It is akin to being caught Naked in Public, hence the title of this blog. But that is another reason I am to do this. Real personal development, I have found, doesn't happen by staying within my comfort zone. Instead, I find I grow more when I find myself in uncomfortable situations and there will be times I expect, where this will be uncomfortable for me.
I recognize that these types of discussions are not going to appeal to everyone, and for those who are already bored with what I am saying, I thank you for reading this far. For those who are interested however, I welcome you, and I offer my sincerest gratitude.
