Motivations

One of my earliest posts here was on the problem I was having getting into the zone at tournaments. It seemed that no matter what I did, I just couldn't find the flow. And that's been going on pretty consistantly for the past few years. Oh, eventually I get tired of Cormac kicking my butt and actually bring up my game, but for the most part, I just can't get in the zone.

But then something weird happened. At Albion's request, I was given the honor of fighting last before the prince and the king at Albion's Prize as his first teacher. Now I was too busy running around like a chicken with her head cut off setting up and making sure the Prize ran smoothy to get in any warm-ups or pick-up fights, but when I entered the list field, I was on. I didn't just give him the bare minimum fight propriety required, I gave him the best I had. I haven't fought that well in close to ten years.

Afterwards, I tried to look back and figure out what was different about that fight adn what I came up with was that it mattered. It was a Big Deal. Albion is the first of my students to achieve the White Scarf, and to see him get that sort of recognition, well... I can't say what it means to me. And I didn't want there to be any question that his Prize was the test it was meant to be.

And I think that may have been the difference. Albion's Prize was a matter of honor to me, not just a chance to win a trinket and maybe a title I'd have to give up in a year or so anyway.