Derek: Thank you for the compliments homie, appreciate it. Helps to motivate for the grind you know? I don't mind your comment on Illusions, I agree there's more progress to be made in this area. In all areas really, but continual improvement makes a good footbagger
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Hello friends. It's been like a week or so since my last post? Becoming too infrequent for my tastes. Will try to update more from now on? Maybe every week or so is good? Dunno the perfect posting ratio to be honest. I suppose it depends on the quality of posting being done, of which mine has suffered in recent weeks/months (personal opinion).
Footbag... It infuriates me one second and fills me with joy the next. I've just now begun to appreciate the reward that comes from perseverance and dedication to something for an extended period of time. I started this blog and footbag more broadly about two years ago this month (first session with Matt was March 27, 2014 I believe). More recently I've started to reflect on the sense of... achievement? Accomplishment? Maybe just pride... that comes with doing something regularly for a bit more than two years now.
This is maybe less significant compared to those of you who have been playing for 10+ years and consistently maintaining or improving upon your skills as the years go on (Pretty sure Ken has been playing for almost as long as I've been alive, likely Allan too, with Matt himself just recently hitting the 10 year mark). A chipmunk and a squirrel both likely look the same to a grizzly bear, to use an odd but hopefully apt metaphor.
Shit, I've only just recently started to view myself as a footbagger in the true sense of the word, rather than some hacky sack kid who can do a couple tricks infrequently. I'll write more on this later I think, but this is beside the point of this post. To whom do I owe this aspect of my life to? The answer to that question is quite simply, honestly, 100% Matterino Kemmerino. Silly nicknames aside, I owe most if not all of my footbag development and progression to Matt. Sure, after I absorbed and memorized the information he was teaching me, the rest of it was on me to practice solo -- but the original mentoring and help came from him.
I won't go into too much detail, but his level of caring and generosity in aiding/helping me progress and fully enjoy the footbag community has earned him my respect as a true friend and footbag companion. Whether it was cracking up to 50 Shades of Grey on the way to PA, chilling vibin to A Tribe Called Quest or Steve Wilson, or just making silly Spongebob references while shredding, there has never been a dull moment with El Kemino.
Some of you might be wondering right about now, what's with the sudden hard on for Kemmer yo? The reason, and inspiration, for this post stems from the fact that Matt and I had our last session together on Friday for the foreseeable future. The absence of such a friend and footbag mentor will likely not be fully appreciated until later, however, suffice to say, I miss ya already amigo.
I don't presume to know how good or bad I will be at footbag in the future, or even if I will make to 10+ years like some of you reading this now. I could be good, maybe even very good, or just stop playing altogether for some unknown reason. However, I do know one thing: whatever progress I've made in the last two years, or continue to make in the years to come, the main person responsible (other than myself obviously) will be Matt. So thanks El Kemino.
Until next post, keep it 100 everyone.
-Daniel C. NY, USA. "Sacrifice a goat to our Lord and Savior Evan Gatesman".
Butterfly > SS Butterfly > Paradox Illusion bsos
