Jamie Marsden: I’m starting to add strings to my bow

Isn’t it great when things start going your way for once? I’ve had an eventful couple of months with lots of things I’ve been hoping for all coming together within a short space of time. I’m finally going to be starting those archery lessons I’ve been tempted by since late summer, and I’ll be studying Japanese language at college towards the end of the month. I normally use February as an opportunity to complain about the 14th. It’s become a kind of tradition for me, but this time around, I’ll go complain elsewhere and write something positive for once. Up to now, I’ve always asked for permission if I can do stuff. If I wanted to go out, I’d ask if it was okay, well into my 20s. Booking my holiday last summer was the first time I decided I was going to do something, approval or not. That bit of growth has carried over and I’m doing more things now because they’re what I want to do. I’ve wanted to try a bow and arrow for a good many years now, and it looks like I’m finally getting a chance to learn. I had my battle archery session at the beginning of autumn, but that only lasted about 2 hours. Having been told by medical professionals that I needed to work on building upper body muscle (I have none), it seemed like a good excuse. I was supposed to go beforehand, but the session got cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. I think this kind of archery will be better for me than the initial session. Not only are we using real bows and real arrows, but we aim at targets rather than people. It means I can spend my time practising as much as I want, making tiny tweaks to my technique until I perfect the skill – something I enjoy doing. When you’re shooting weird arrows tipped with rubber balls about the size of a tennis ball at moving targets, it’s a completely different experience, and probably not representative of what it’s like as a first timer. On the course front, I’d decided to learn the language because of when I was on my holiday. I could talk to the locals just fine, without need to consult a phrase- book, but reading signs was impossible. Being functionally illiterate was frustrating, even if it didn’t put a damper on the fun at all. With plans for multiple return trips, being able to read signs and more importantly, food menus, those language skills will see plenty of use. I get to take the course with a friend too. I don’t see him often, so that’s an added bonus that should also make it more fun. In short, life’s been treating me well lately.