The Weekend. baby.

Apologies for not writing a post yesterday. You got two on FRIDAY, don't complain. Plus, I was busy fencing/being young and frolicky. Because I won't be young for much longer, must enjoy now.

So, I feel kinda obliged to put the results up, but I don't know all of them. What I do know is that Rob won Senior Foil, I won Senior Sabre, Rob beat me in Cadet Foil, Rob beat me in Cadet Epèe, so all in all a very good haul. Oh yeah, Andrew won all the other Epée medals. Well done to all the other guys, especially Soo-Min who was absolutely INSANE!!! So I guess this means I'll get colours, WP at the very least if not school ones yet.

Which puts things into perspective. Because if I had WP rugby or hockey colours, I mean, hell, I'd be... freaking awesome? Well, yeah, but when I get fencing colours, it's like, yeah, it must be really easy to do, I rate I could get there seeing as he's only been doing it for 2 years etc. etc.

And it's not just fencing. It's anything non-mainstream. Okes think they can play piano, especially the rugby types. No, you can't. Playing the opening bars of Fur Elise with one hand is not playing the piano. Playing it with both hands is not playing the piano. Playing it with both hands and going to the funky high section is not playing the piano. Hell, playing the entire piece is not playing the piano, although you are expected to play it if you do. Playing the piano, and truly playing it, is broken and cramping fingers, it's the tears when you finally overcome difficult passages, it's the joy of the performance, it's the time you put in practicing every single hour after hour. That is playing the piano. And it's technically the Bagatelle No 25 in A minor, by the way.

I'm in no way saying that messing around on the piano one day and finding something cool is WRONG. In fact, go for it, it might tame your aggressive zombie side or whatever. It's just that you can't say that you can now match up to, or hell, even comprehend matching up to those of us who pour our lives into this.

Same goes for fencing. I am not the national sabre champion and a whole lot more besides because it's easy. I have earned it because I put my heart into it, I put every last drop of blood and toil and tears and sweat from my body until I am left as a withered shell into getting to the place I am today. I put my life into fencing... And it's certainly paid off! I have put just as much, if not more, effort into it than the okes who play WP rugby.

And they deserve the respect, because they've also earned it. They've also had to struggle and strive to get there. Though we may not respect the sport they play as much as we do ours, we still need to accept that their talents are worthy of such high recognition. Because you have worked for it. But please realize that I have too.

The competition went freak well, I'm not just whining. it's just that these are the things I think about when the medals are handed out.