Philosophy: the judo belt: lost and found

Self-tutoring about perspective: the tutor shares a story.

When I attend judo workouts by myself, I walk there. This time of year, I often can’t wear the judo gi on the walk to the club, lest it gets muddy. Therefore, I wear ordinary clothes, bring the gi, and change at the club. The gi is bulky and heavy to carry.

Last night I packed the judo gi, along with a donation for a Christmas event, and started off. At the club, when I put on the gi, its belt was missing. In disbelief, I checked if it was hiding amongst my clothes, or had fallen from the bag and lay under the bleachers, etc. After two minutes I had to admit defeat: I couldn’t find it. Nevertheless, the workout was starting, so I borrowed a belt and hit the mats.

Throughout the evening I wondered where the belt must be. I concluded it was lying out somewhere along my route to the club. I suspected it would be very close to the club, perhaps even just outside the door.

When the workout ended, I hung up the borrowed belt, changed into my clothes, repacked the gi and left. My lost belt wasn’t on the club steps, nor in the parking lot. I wondered if it would be along either curb where I’d crossed the street; arriving there, I didn’t see it.

Next I headed along a well-lit, paved path. I didn’t expect to find the belt there, nor did I. After that, I entered a dark field, trying to retrace my steps.

Two thirds across the field, I turned back around to survey it: had I missed my earlier course, and passed the belt without noticing? Indeed, I had: about 25 feet away it lay, stretched almost straight. Apparently one end had tumbled from the bag and pulled the rest out behind it. In the dark, its color couldn’t be seen, but just its shape. I walked up and fetched it, relieved.

I wasn’t happy just because I’d found the belt. The confirmation that I’d dropped it along the walk, so could retrace my steps and recover it, is reassuring. Simple logic like that should work, even though in our complex lifestyle nowadays, it seems often not to.

Possibly, people saw the belt, but left it. I thank them for letting it be so I could return to find it:)