|

Saturday, January 26, 2008

so this is a HUGE happening in our life that took a lot - and still- to assimilate

on thursday afternoon we received a phone call from the gym where the kids take karate. our instructor who only rents space from the gym, was fired. he had left a loaded gun in the manager's office and walked away for a short period of time, while he changed his clothes.
its been very upsetting. the first story we heard from the gym was sort of alarmist and frightening, they lead us to believe it happened that morning and in his classroom. audrey & i were then so it hit very close to home. turned out it was late at night and they let him continue working for 3 more days.
not terminated on the spot as i was first told. the gym was way for more focused on telling me all the ways my money could be refunded and how soon they would be getting a new karate instructor, and that we can have a free 30 membership and not answering any questions i had about details.
but in fact the instructor has been in the process of opening his own facility for adults only. so he will be opening also to the kids now and will continue teaching to those who want to follow.
i know i fall into the conspiracy theorist, but its does seem a bit fishy to me.

only question is why does a 3rd degree black belt carry a loaded gun in to a health club? i need to call him back about that one. but the more i think about it i do think he most likely always carries a firearm, not only for his own safety but for the safety of others.


and the kids?
i told them....
i said that our instructor was fired, he did something that was really bad. he had a real gun, with bullets, and he set it down somewhere at anyone could pick it up and that put everyone in danger so he had to be fired.
i said it doesn't just affect us, it affects a lot of people, all the karate kids, the parents, the other teacher, instructor's family , and the instructor himself.
max was very upset and cried a few times, and asked if the other adult teachers would be ok, and what would they do for work now. audrey kept asking me why would the instructor have a gun, then answer herself and say maybe because there's bad guys.
Poor max was supposed to receive his junior blue belt last night, and he didnt know it (and im sooo glad i didnt say anything) but he was going to get a special camoflauge uniform that signified that he was now a team leader. He has been teaching the mini dragon classes now for appox 9 months on his on accord.
so instead shawn & i took him out to our favorite place to eat and we gave him a small bag of blue M&M's and told him we were proud of him and we know he earned his blue belt.

what will we do?
im not sure.
its really difficult. both kids are very attached to our karate school. i, myself loved our karate school. i always saw us going through martial arts as long as the kids wanted to and i hoped that would be a long time. i've know the instructor for years even before i had kids. max and audrey have been in karate now 2+ years. i know and relate with the instructor as a parent, (his son is audrey's age & they often play together) but i 've also hired him to teach my kids & keep them safe, but also one adult to another, i understand that a mistake can happen and at least no one was hurt. i've heard a few moms are saying as long as there are no weapons in the new building then they will send their children back to him.
i just need to think a little more.