The party last night was legendary. Steve got cut with some glass from a black light, John tried to fight Eric, and Adonis got too drunk again, but not as bad as Ashley; she had to get her stomach pumped. I remember making out with Brittany, not thinking Katie would find out, but she did.
Practice has been nothing short of a battle every night. These guys jump so much higher, hit so much harder, and the pace at which they play is so much faster than anything I’ve ever seen; it takes all my energy to look like I know what I’m doing. I may be in over my head. I’ve missed 2 6am workouts now and coach is losing his patience, I’m on fairly thin ice to say the least.
My politics professor has no concept of how to concentrate on a topic, he is constantly deviating from the subject matter to insert an anecdote, or try to make a loose connection to a current event; in short, I’ve been teaching myself about colonial politics and the principles of a democratic republic. Other than that, my workload is fairly light, and I’m keeping up with my assignments.
…Keep working hard, nothing ever worth having or accomplishing comes easy. Never miss an opportunity to learn something from these bigger guys; I’m sure they can teach you a lot. Make sure you’re getting to bed at a reasonable time; you can’t burn the candle at both ends and expect to maintain such a demanding schedule.
College isn’t about someone teaching you something; it’s about you LEARNING something, taking the rhetoric your “educators” spill and YOU deciphering it, translating it into useful knowledge that you use to better yourself, the people around you and the world. You are so, so smart, I have no doubt that you’re going to be running circles around those academics.
In all the things you do, seek truth, revel in knowledge, and keep yourself rooted in your faith. You will find your path easy and your burdens light.
I love you Samuel
It feels like the dog days of summer, only a lot colder. We’ve had snow every day for the past two weeks, and the time seems to drag on and on in the dark with sun setting around 4:30. The dark is pervasive; even with the lights on it feels like the dark is seeping into my room, along with the bitter cold. The wind howls and when I walk to class, it rips through any layers I have on, as if they were made out of tissue paper. But then again, what did I expect going to school on top of a mountain?
I missed another 6am workout a few weeks ago, Coach sat me down and we talked about me not being on the team this season, taking a year off and being the manager. I know I can play at this level, but coach says it might be too much too fast. The rest of the team doesn’t want me there, I can feel their glares burning holes in the back of my head when I turn away. A few are encouraging and helpful, but mostly I’m ignored; segregated. There seems to be no room for a walk-on.
My classes have picked up steam considerably, last week I had 2 exams, a presentation, and a speech to give, on top of our regularly scheduled readings and assignments. I feel confident in the work I’ve been doing, but I still feel anxious until I know my grade. Not to mention finals start next week, I have to admit my nerves are starting to get a bit worn, and I’m starting to get stressed easier.
I really miss home; Christmas can’t come soon enough.
Sweetheart,
We all miss you so much, Josh most of all I think, he seems like a completely different person when you’re not home; he’s quiet, doesn’t talk much and when he does, the conversation is short. We all miss your smile and your happiness. Make sure that your priority stays with your studies, a game will be over someday, and when that day comes, you’ll need that degree. The semester is almost over, stay strong, and finish strong.
Maybe taking a year off to get used to the environment will be good for you. You can concentrate more on school, and raise your level of play to be able to compete with the rest of the team. Just remember, no one ever said you had to like your teammates, and no one ever said they were going to like you. Find the ones who are positive, up lifting, and supportive, gravitate to them, ask them for help and LEARN what you can from their experiences. You are an incredible athlete, gifted with strength, speed, intelligence and passion for the game; use those attributes to keep a positive attitude and develop your game further. We all know you can.
We all love you so, so much. Keeping you in our prayers. I love you Sam
Xoxo Mommy
Hello! Yours was one of the first posts I read, before I realized we were in the same group, ha. So I really enjoyed what you wrote.
ReplyDeleteOne good thing is the pacing. You spend the right amount of time in memory, current thought, and messages from home. Although it's a fairly short piece, the reader doesn't feel rushed.
Another thing is that you establish some good characters. Through their brief introductions, we still feel like we know the coach, your mom, and even your party friends.
My only suggestion would be to add to and round out this piece. As a reader I was looking forward to hearing more about your struggles and how you overcame them. The email at the end gave a great overhead of what your "point" was, but as far as the actual actions of the story I was looking for more of a conclusion. So that's a good thing!
Thanks for sharing, sounds great!