We all know that bleeding fish attract sharks, right? On land, the saying is: "If you look like food, you will be eaten." Most of us condition yellow folks generally don't go around looking like food.
I recently found myself violating the above. A short while ago I had some work done to fix an old sports injury. A few days later, I was walking home from a neighbor's house with my arm in a sling, not feeling so great physically. It was only a short walk, in our nice, "no-crime" neighborhood, and I perceived no threats, even in the evening darkness. Then I noticed it - my demeanor. I was a bleeding fish. I wasn't looking around, I wasn't maintaining my normal erect posture, and my attention was focused about six feet in front of me on the sidewalk. I didn't feel good enough to enjoy the bliss of "condition white," so I'll call it "condition gray," as in: in a fog. Fortunately, my neighborhood remained serene that evening, and I didn't have to pay for my lack of vigilance. Half way home I finally "woke up" and began to pay heed to the surroundings.
I thought I might pass this experience on for the benefit of others who might make this mistake. I think I let my ailing body convince my mind that it was time to take a day off. I am going to make a point of doing a little self-assessment each day before I go out in order to make sure that a cold, headache, or other malady doesn't drag me down to the level of a bleeding fish.
It bothers me that in spite of years of martial arts and shooting, I dropped my guard and might as well have pasted a target on my back. It was a cheap lesson, fortunately. Remember, even if you're a "sheepdog," if the dog stays home, all that's left is the :sheep:
SSKC
I recently found myself violating the above. A short while ago I had some work done to fix an old sports injury. A few days later, I was walking home from a neighbor's house with my arm in a sling, not feeling so great physically. It was only a short walk, in our nice, "no-crime" neighborhood, and I perceived no threats, even in the evening darkness. Then I noticed it - my demeanor. I was a bleeding fish. I wasn't looking around, I wasn't maintaining my normal erect posture, and my attention was focused about six feet in front of me on the sidewalk. I didn't feel good enough to enjoy the bliss of "condition white," so I'll call it "condition gray," as in: in a fog. Fortunately, my neighborhood remained serene that evening, and I didn't have to pay for my lack of vigilance. Half way home I finally "woke up" and began to pay heed to the surroundings.
I thought I might pass this experience on for the benefit of others who might make this mistake. I think I let my ailing body convince my mind that it was time to take a day off. I am going to make a point of doing a little self-assessment each day before I go out in order to make sure that a cold, headache, or other malady doesn't drag me down to the level of a bleeding fish.
It bothers me that in spite of years of martial arts and shooting, I dropped my guard and might as well have pasted a target on my back. It was a cheap lesson, fortunately. Remember, even if you're a "sheepdog," if the dog stays home, all that's left is the :sheep:
SSKC
