I'm using the term incorrectly. That said, it's still the best term I have for this:

I used to call it my "burglar beater", but that's inaccurate, since I've never encountered a burglar, and since it's never been used to beat anyone but me. For many reasons, I refuse to call it a "big stick". Besides, when it was cut from the tree (shrub? maybe...) growing next to the front porch, its shape immediately reminded me of a katana (this is one of the reasons I consider it a gift of Tao), making the term "bokken" (or "wooden sword") appropriate, if not accurate.
Much like some of my favorite web browsers, my bokken has add-ons. For those of you curious enough to go beyond just wondering what the hell I'm talking about when I tweet the word "bokken", let's get a closer look!
This section of jute twine was my bokken's first add-on. I've found jute twine to be pretty much useless for every other conceivable application, but it does a fine job of marking off a safe place for my left hand to grab the far end of the bokken when/if I want to use it as an all-too-short
staff. Those little spikes that you can see on either side of the twine
are vestiges of the tiny limbs that were growing from the plant when it
was cut. Other than the naturally-formed handle, there are very few places on the bokken where the spikes are far enough apart to get a comfortable grip.
This is a child-sized headband that I found in a parking lot. It reminds me of my favorite pair of shoes ever: Nike Air Delta Force A/C Snakes. Mine had green trim, but like this headband, they came in a purple version, too. Also, bare wood gets a bit uncomfortable against my hands after a while. The headband provides a bit of cushiony comfort. Not much, obviously, but every little bit helps.

This is a pink ribbon that I found in a parking lot. It's pretty. I have no other excuse.
To anyone who's been reading long enough to already know all of this:
Pardon my redundancy. It happens, sometimes.
Recent Comments