I am great because I had people who believed I could be

 There is no HIS story unless you tell HER Story, Part III.  The importance of having people who not only see the possibilities for your future but also prepare you for it as well (Master Anne Radke)

In the Fall of 2000, I was starting my 3d year of law school at Florida State University College of Law in Tallahassee, Florida.  At that time, I had been training for over a year in a small dojo in Tallahassee by Sensei (now Master) Anne Radke.   

During that time, we were doing it all.  She had a 24 hour lock in with the Karate instructors and kids for a 24 hour karate session (That was rough but fun).   We were going to tournaments.   We had kickboxing.   And countless classes that were a handful.

Somehow, some kind of way, I was in the mix of all of these things.   Even with a full course load, I was able to juggle going to law school, clerking for a law firm, and helping her and my other dojo instructors doing the countless things she needed to get done.

And I can tell you, it was tough.  The majority of the students were either kids or women and they were TOUGH!   The walls of the dojo were lined with countless trophies the school had won with the vast majority from the women.  I was just happy to be able to keep up.

I didn’t think I was one of her best (I rode the coat tails of the ladies in our dojo PROUDLY. I had no shame carrying their trophies) but the environment challenged me in ways I didn’t truly appreciate.

Master Radke was a fountain of knowledge and she had no problems pouring it out.   In addition, unbeknownst to me, she refused to let me hide in the back of the class (which is what I tend to do).   She never ASKED me to take the lead in different things.  She TOLD me.   She created an expectation and expected me to exceed it EVERY time.  She counseled me on different situations (some of those tournaments created some WONKY experiences).  She schooled me on what may happen in the future.   She helped me understand the bridge between what I was doing in the dojo and how this would affect me in life.

So, when she told me, “Sensei, I see you being a judge one day”, I TRULY thought she was NOT talking about me.   I didn’t even see myself as being a judge.  Hell, I was still hoping I could graduate from law school.   I just chocked it up to being supportive.

Being even AFTER I graduated, she never stopped planting the seed.  With each opportunity and experience I would share with her, regardless of whether it be in the law, in the community or in the ring, she still dropped the thought of seeing that reality.

So, you can imagine who was one of the first person’s I called when I received a Judicial appointment.  

But it was deeper than that.  The reality is that all of her lessons have come to life in how I view things and how her lessons shaped my deeper responsibility to see the world in a helpful service oriented way.

If you have someone like Master Radke in your life, hold onto them.  You have something rare and important and it should be cherished.