When I was 7 years old, my grandpa Wakefield came to live with us at our ranch home in Lake Oswego, Oregon.  His eyesight was fast disappearing, and he needed a regular gin rummy partner. That turned out to be me. A week after his arrival, the historic 1962 winter storm hit the Pacific Northwest. Gusty winds equivalent to a category 4 hurricane (over 100 mph!) downed trees everywhere. Electrical lines spilled across the roads. Nowhere was safe to step. A tree fell and shattered the big glass window in our living room. …

David Socha wrote the following email to Kimberly Sensei in February, 2020. The email has been slightly edited for clarity.

I'm not one to put any weight on certificates. I never framed my PhD certificate. Nor my tenure letter from University of Washington. Nor anything like that. I reserve framing and display for art! Nor do I tend to honor or celebrate my own accomplishments, though my wife Caroline is helping me do better on that front. …

Daniel Pollack wrote the following essay in November 2009, and then revised and shortened it in January 2014 when he was a sandan.

In January 2009, I began the introductory series at Two Cranes Aikido.  I had been aware of the dojo for sometime as my neighbor had been a member for many years and we had spoken numerous times about what the training and the community had meant to her.  I’d also had the good fortune to be able to observe a couple of advanced Dan demonstrations the month before I started.  Approximately halfway through the eight-week beginner series, I was clearly, and irreversibly, hooked. …