MIZUNO RIKUNDO SHIRT: A Lucky One

Last Sunday, fellow 83nean Ernie handed me a couple of running shirts. 

He said this came from our classmate Bitoy. I was instantly happy. Generosity from friends and family have that effect on me.

The shirts were a blue one and a white one. Both were good looking but the white one had a special hold on my eyes. It was a Mizuno shirt with the words “RIKUNDO” printed in front and a Japanese calligraphy characters printed at the back.

I know of the word “MEZAMASHII” which Mizuno USA tells us is about having an eye-opening and brilliant running experience. But the word  “RIKUNDO”, I have no idea. My son Marcel tried googling about and the best he could do is to explain that this word is associated with some form of military training that men of a certain mythic asiatic kingdom must undergo from age seven, something akin to that of Sparta.  

         

Whatever the meaning intended by the Mizuno people, the  white Mizuno Rikundo shirt is proving to be a lucky one for me. On that same Sunday and wearing the shirt, I accompanied my wife for some shopping at the department store in SM BF Paranaque. I volunteered to pay for the household items she purchased for the condo.  At the cashier counter, I pulled out my wallet and handed out  my Mastercard to pay for the goods. In a minute, the lady cashier was smiling and telling me that I just won Php 1,000 worth of SM gift cheques. I said, “Come again.” And she repeated that I won something. All I need to do, she added, was to have my picture taken. Sure, that’s easy. I can do that.

Thus, started the saga of luck for this Mizuno. What’s next? Who knows. All I know is that I am happy for this rare sliver of luck. I rarely win this sort of thing.

Thank you to the people of Mastercard and SM.

Thank you very much Bitoy for your generosity. Not just of the shirt but of the gift of luck.