I am ridiculously pleased with myself

Regular readers will know that I joined the Chicago Swordplay Guild at the tail end of last year, after taking basic classes in medieval longsword for about a year. Most Monday nights I participate with the basic class, assisting when I can and drilling with the even-newer-students. I am the newest guild member in that group, by about 2 years. I am also the oldest. And the least proficient in martial arts. (Most of the others have had a decade of martial arts training ... and are a decade younger than me to boot.) So, tonight was the last day of spring semester's basic class, where the students actually suit up & spar with a "green shirt," an experienced guild member. I was in a weird spot ... no longer officially a student, but also not experienced enough to play the role of a "green shirt." Or so I thought. Partway through the evening, I was instructed to suit up & go for 3 rounds against 3 basic students! I'm glad I didn't know about it ahead of time, else I might have had time to freak out. As it was, it was incredibly fun and I was able to relax & just PLAY. I got whacked a few times (I estimate 3 bruises will pop up on my upper left arm by morning), but it was nowhere near the pressure-cooker that I'd experienced in the past. As a result, as the title says: I am ridiculously pleased with myself.