I've had another nurse ask what I do with my time. She simply knows that I quit my job but I have not mentioned FIRE to her. She has asked that question more than once. Interestingly, I've been busy. I find it so interesting because I went to work full-time sometime post-pandemic and I read about 15 books in the second year of working full-time. I went part-time the year before I FIRE'd and read less books. I think I only read a handful of less last year. This year? I think I've only read 2 and it's June! One would think that I should have read more after going part-time and if "One" didn't think so, I thought so. No, I'm not sitting at home watching TV, I'm also not on social media scrolling. So what do I do with my time?
Living.
I recall a colleague asking me back in 2023 when I went part-time: what do you do with all your time? I said I'm in the business of living. Actually, I wanted the days available so I could schedule therapy because I decided to take a stint at it earlier that January. I quit in June. But I still took time to better myself and one of the things I did was getting a cheap exercise book from Walmart and working through Nathaniel Branden's Taking Responsiblity. I finished it sometime early last year. Branden can rant on some things usually at the end of his books but if you read it with some awareness, you can poke holes in the arguments he makes in his rants. That however doesn't discredit the excellent work he presents in the main part of his books. I worked PRN previously and then did those 2 years full-time and I was done with that. Going part-time made a tremendous difference back then. I did the exact amount to get benefits and it was beautiful. I worked hours where I didn't have to get up early or deal with rush hour traffic at anytime. But then it got stressful later on. I talked to an old colleague about a month or so ago and she said it's gotten "crazier". I thought it had gotten "crazier" before I left. Last year, I had to deal with something major and that was a process that required my time and attention.
Now that it's all behind me, I realized something interesting recently:
I have not missed a Grand Sumo Tournament since I FIRE'd!
Photo screenshot from NHK January 2025 Tournament
Ha.
I enjoy Sumo: the art, the culture, the respect, the interesting techniques and the excitement! It isn't a sport where you come and trash talk your opponent and make noise. You come into the ring, bow at your opponent and, win or lose, bow again when you're done. It's interesting how when a fight has gone on for sometime and they're at a stalemate, we somehow clap for them in unison like we've been cued but I think we somehow know it instinctively in a way. Some matches can be interesting and go on for over a minute. Most matches are rather quick and lasts only a few seconds. The audience show their excitement in such interesting ways. I like how a tournament can start with some leaders and then you have new leaders in week 2. Sometimes, I'm at the edge of my seat for a particular match. There is also the excitement that gets built up before the tournament. Sometimes, a player does so well in a tournament and then the next tournament, they end up with a losing record - more losses than wins.
I have also gotten familiar with the Rikishi that while I don't see any faces in the picture above, I usually can tell who is fighting by looking at the Physique or Mawashi. I think the screenshot I have above is Onokatsu and...Can you identify the other opponent? Ha ha.
My first time seeing a sumo match? I was a child. Somewhere around 6 - 7 years old. I didn't understand it back then as the older boys watching were talking about the Yokozuna. That is really what I remembered back then: "Yokozuna"🤣. I just saw these big men on TV. Coming to watch Sumo as an adult, I realize that they were not all that big. But I was little and to me, they looked like huge men. As an adult they don't look that big and a nurse, I've seen bigger patients. Midorifuji for example is on the "smaller" side but I feel like I've seen patients his weight who are bigger. I'm not sure if seeing bigger patients has m ade me think these guys are not that big. The thing is that "size" isn't all there is in Sumo. There have been smaller guys who have made Yokozuna. It's really not about how big you are. Technique is an important factor and the number of skills and "moves" you can execute also matters.
There's been other interesting things in my life but to look back and see that I have not missed a tournament? I was surprised. I don't think I would've had the time for that If I worked. Tournaments go on for 2 weeks (15 days) and it's every other month. Sometimes, I'd get home after a shift and be too tired to do anything. It was a matter of "stuff your face" and go to bed. It's nice being able to enjoy the things I like.
The craziest thing? Last May while watching, I looked at Onosato and was like ~this guy is Yokozuna material. Well, well, well. He became the 75th Yokozuna after this May tournament. I recall seeing a Reddit comment either earlier this year or late last year where another person was telling someone else that it's not a matter of if Onosato would become Yokozuna but a matter of when. I realized I wasn't the only one who saw it. It made me wonder: Does the person rise up to it because others say they're going to be something or is it that obvious that we can tell? I think it's the latter.
Anyway, the 73rd Yokozuna retired in January...that was an interesting start to the Tournament and we got a 74th Yokozuna, Hoshoryu. Back when it was Kotozakura and Hoshoryu as Ozeki, Hoshoryu was my favorite Ozeki. Don't ask why? I've come to respect the Zak for his Sumo, though. Hoshohyu has this game face and domineering look when the gets into the ring but I've watched him in stable video and he is completely different. His emotional reaction when he won the January tournament is something when seeing. I don't think I had seen him show such emotion previously. So in honor of his win and promotion in January, I'm including a screenshot of him from January before he won the Tournament. While he finished with a 12-3 win, there was a 3-way playoff and he won both. Now, that was exciting to watch!
Photo of Hoshoryu, 73rd Yokozuna. Screenshot from NHK 1/2025
So this image was back in January. He ended up winning the rest and ended up with 12-3 along with winning the playoffs. Since there are now two Yokozunas, I think we are in some interesting times for Sumo.
If you follow Sumo, who is your favorite Rikishi? If you don't, it is an interesting sport to watch and follow. That said, I think the Grand Sumo tournament in July will be interesting. I have a feeling and hope of something interesting happening and and it sure would be nice to have a debut championship .
So yes, one of the things I've done is enjoy Grand Sumo Tournaments. It excites me and there are times when I'm at the edge of my seat for a Bout Of The Day. Watching a game is exciting. It's nice being able to enjoy something I like.
If you've FIRE'd, what is something you've done since retiring? There are other things but I'm focusing on Sumo today.
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