"Mountains tremble and tear apart countries"

I get to Boot Camp and I tell the Master I'm not running today. "I need to conserve the little strength I've got and build on that."

"Go on, out you go, I want you with the group."

"I'm telling you I can't. I'm here though, I want to do the class. Can't I meditate or something?"

"If you want to meditate, you stay at home. Go on, outside."

"OK, how about a compromise and I run in here while they run outside?"

"Mountains don't compromise!"

"Maybe not but they tremble and shake and tear countries apart! You saw me the other week! I'm not being a victim honestly, the local rag's asked me to write a piece for them after the election and I'm not sleeping editing stuff in my head. My weakness is positive this time, I swear!'

"OK," and he puts on Edie Brickell and smiles as she sings I'm not aware of too many things, I know what I am if you know what I mean... and I smile back, give him the thumbs up and start jogging.

"Thanks Master! I knew you'd understand!"

I was a great class. We did the usual then he took us right back to the very basics. In pairs, in slow motion focused attention, we moved our arms, then gently relearnt the kicks, aiming the forward ones (as he was my partner, very close to the groin so had to be careful!), then roundhouse ones to the thigh then to the head (or as high as you can go in my case, my arm protecting my ear because he's not the Master for nought!)

We Mistresses sparred later, a metre apart from one another, no contact allowed. As an odd numbered class we rotated and when we got to the Master, we were allowed to make contact with him with our punches and kicks, if we could!

Doing this two weeks ago was frightening for me as I kept imagining the Mistresses as the big Iron system I'm caught in. Nothing like that today. I held my own! It was a real, well, comfort in these trying times!

I can do this you know. I can write a decent article, given I've been told to use my own voice. I can do it and hopefully, hopefully, I can take my son Home.