I met the young man in this story in November 2019, a year into my Boxing Gym Owner's retirement, when he was fifteen. We trained together for two and a half years, filling in data on Living A Boxer's Lifestyle.
First, we identified and practiced boxing fundamentals, such as the six basic punches, delivery, return, and defense. Next, we focused on applying these techniques to everyday life, in which incoming cues are a relentless stream that has to be dealt with. For example, which cue prompts are to be invited, blocked, redirected, or smashed?
I retired from the boxing world to return to writing, and working alongside this youth helped me in that transition. We participated in a Community Youth Camp and shared Leadership Tips marked our Training Graduation. We celebrated before moving on to new directions.
Keeping in touch has been testimony to the connection we forged between two creatives, musician and writer, linked by boxing language. First, he finished his High School Senior Year, and I dealt with the ongoing transition from coach to guide and my role as a writer. Then, he left town to attend a prestigious music school for a year on scholarship, and our connection evolved into musical language.
For example, we FTd recently, and he said he was dealing with a Dark Path. I asked what chords he heard, and he replied that the Major…
