A different look at this might be , an individual is capable of more than that person would normally be capable of when part of a high functioning team.
This past weekend Silent River Kung Fu had the opportunity to be involved with Heritage Days in Onoway. For the second weekend in a row we were able to be in a parade and as a group represent our school. We also managed to do a forms demo down town after dismantling the float. Last weekend in the Farmer's Day parade we won first place with our float which was pretty amazing considering how many entrants there were in Stony's parade. This weekend we managed to win another first place ribbon.
When the marshal came over with the ribbon, Sifu Brinker had thanked me right away. A similar thing happened last weekend and the more I process this the more I believe that it is undeserved. Or maybe not completely undeserved but there are way more people that also deserve credit for what we manage to accomplish.
Two years ago, while we were waiting in the staging area at the Farmer's Day parade, a group of people were discussing how nice it would be if we had a trailer to put some of the stuff that we were carrying on. I had just purchased a small trailer in order to bring all of the kids and my bikes in to town so i volunteered the use of it. The discussion quickly changed when I mentioned that I was the manager at large equipment trailer manufacturer. Once the parade started the ideals of grandeur slipped away. The next spring while discussing Panadamonium with Sifu Csillag and Mr. Kohut, the topic of creating a float resurfaced. One of the salesmen at the company I work for, who happens to be Sifu Bryant's brother-in-law, happened to have a trailer that was about the size we were looking for. I picked up the trailer and brought it to the Kwoon during open training so that Sifu Brinker could see what the "plan" was before signing off on having the float. I forgot to mention that the trailer may not have been in the best condition. As Sifu stepped out of the Kwoon you could see the expression on his face quickly change to disbelief. In the end he said that he trusted that his students would represent the school the best they could and agreed that we could enter a float. For the next week I spent a bit of time each day removing the paint and rust from exposed areas and repainting. By the next weekend it was like a brand new trailer, minus all of the holes in the wood. The three of us joined by Mr. Dyble constructed the weapon rack and installed on the trailer.
On the day of the parade there was lots of help from the team, and this somewhat decrepit trailer started to take on a new life. Sihing Macdonald had signs for the school made and we managed to cover up the lumber issues on the deck, and once the dragon was added it drew any focus away from the remaining flaws. We threw some mats on to ensure no one would fall through the deck and we were off.
This year was very similar. The components were already there we just made some small adjustments. Sifu Csillag came out to give me a hand to change the weapon rack so it could be installed on the newly decked trailer and we also made a platform to elevate the head of the dragon. Another change that was made actually came from Sifu M. Beckett. Reading her blogs on reducing impact and waste was the reason I looked for alternatives to the cheap plastic covering we had used on the deck the previous year. We also used the new dragon this year as there was talk of running with the older one. All of this came together to create something that was truly beautiful.
In Onoway, it was like pulling in to the pits for a tire change. Once the trailer came to a stop there were people all over it installing things as they had been the week before. there was a little more work as the road I had decided to drive on the way there may not have been in the best shape and the weapon rack needed some attention. In 30-40 minutes we once again had an award winning float to call our own.
I may have been the one to supply the truck and bring the trailer, but it was the actions of a team working together that made it what it became. I am very grateful to be able to be a part of this team and there is no doubt that this team has made me a better person. I would encourage everyone to try to come out to more of the school or team events when possible. It is these events that solidify the team and bring everyone closer together.
No comments:
Post a Comment