Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large. 

I got to workout more

Every Tuesday for the past few weeks I’ve been going over to the Marina district to attend improv class. It’s really nice to be in that area during the evening hours. The Golden Gate Bridge makes a dramatic backdrop when you’re near the water. My friend and I have been doing a food tour of the area as well, picking a local spot to have dinner before class. It’s been a highly enjoyable time, even though we are doing so after already spending a full day at work.

What I’ve noticed in the area is the sheer amount of people running/exercising. It’s kind of inspirational, actually. These people are getting a workout in after a long day of work. I on the other hand prefer to workout on the weekends. But that limits the total amount of exercise time possible. Sometimes a weekend get busy with social stuff and I would have to forgo working out. Seeing people in the Marina exercising on a weekday gives me motivation to do the same.

Therefore I am going to start working out on certain workday evenings. I’m lucky to be in a house with a squat rack and an exercise bike in the garage; might as well take advantage of it more fully.

Wait here.

Get in the flow

We all want to get in a flow state, don’t we? The feeling where we’re are so in tune and concentrated on the current activity, that everything else on the periphery melts away. Time seems to not be a thing anymore, until of course when it reintroduces itself as the signal for the end of activity. Reality sets back in. Time to be an adult again.

I had such an experience at the improv class yesterday evening. A three hour night class - after an already full day at work - would typically be a slow burn. Anybody that’s taken night classes in college knows exactly what I’m talking about. However, yesterday’s three hours of improv lessons flew by super quickly. I was in a zone, so concentrated on the material and just being in the present there. The class was adjourning when I thought we’d still have one more hour to go.

I’ve really come to enjoy this beginners improv class. It has a surprisingly philosophical bent to it. Improv can only be done in the present. Whatever you’ve prepared in the past and prepared to do in the future don’t matter - the situation can and will shift in an instant. So you’ve got to be ready, pay complete attention, and be vulnerable enough to say (or act) the first thing that pops to mind. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to look silly - that’s the point. This class has been incredibly useful for getting me out of my own head, and letting go of social insecurities.

The instructor remarked yesterday, “You have everything you need at this moment.” A fairly zen statement to a student’s question of what if he can’t come up with anything right away. I think that student is still worried about saying the right thing, coming up with something clever and pertinent (I’m not any better). While that is indeed the goal, the flip side is that one cannot be afraid to look foolish. Worrying about what other people think stifles authenticity. At least we’re at the right class to correct this habit!

Light bulb!

Taking night class again

You guys remember taking night classes back in college? Those three hour slogs that starts at 7:00 PM. You’re fighting the urge to fall asleep the entire time. Did we really learn/retain anything pertinent from those courses? It was mostly just for the credit, and the privilege of only having one class per week.

It would seem I want to relive that experience as an adult in his mid 30s. I signed up for a six week foundational improv class at BATS School of Improv. Right here in San Francisco at the Fort Mason Center. During the six week we meet every Tuesday from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Indeed, it is just like the night classes back in university. Except this time, I voluntarily signed up for it, paying a not unsubstantial $350 for the 30 hours of training.

Why an improv class? Because peer pressure. My good friend took an introductory sampler class - at the same company - and was hooked enough to continue on to the proper stuff. Drawing from a sense of duty, I decided to accompany my friend on this new adventure. On the other hand, I think improv will greatly help me to be more social and getting out of my head. The whole point of improv is no preparation: it’s whatever coming out of your mind at that exact moment. You have to be flexible, intuitive, and most important: not give a crap about what other people think.

The moment you think you have something, the situation can change on a dime. It’s easy to then get caught thinking for something suitably appropriate, instead of simply going with the first thing that pops into mind. Improv is really useful for the self-conscious of us to get out of our heads. The remaining five class periods are going to be fun.

Safety deposit box.