Monday, October 24, 2011: Hi Sam! I don’t know if 40 is the new 30 or if you even believe in that sort of talk. All the things I thought I would be doing at the age of 41, competing in a martial arts tournament was not one of them. I did well in my jiu jitsu tournament yesterday. I earned a silver medal for 2nd place. The Gold Medal match was very tough. We were very evenly matched and at the end the score was 0-0. In jiu jitsu, if there is a tie in competition the referee decides the winner. My opponent was just as deserving of the gold medal. This time he took it home. The saying at the academy is that we win or we learn. Nobody really loses. Competing with other people I do not train with everyday makes my jiu jitsu so much better. All the guys I competed with yesterday were great people on top of it, encouraging each other’s successes during the actual matches. My academy as a whole did very well too. Several guys took home medals yesterday. I say all this because I felt you there with me Sam! I can’t explain it. I knew in spirit you were there with me yesterday. This medal is for you! I LOVE YOU!
