There are a lot of things you have to do in life that you don't necessarily want to do, but I have learned that you will only make it worse if you go into it with a bad attitude. Over the past few years, a lot of instances have occured where I have had to do something I didn't want to. The end result didn't have to be as bad as my feeling going into it though. Rather than going into things with a bad attitude, I have learned to go into things open minded and positive.
All the time spent dwelling on reasons not to have fun and enjoy myself, could have been used more productively on other topics. Since I made an effort to go into everything more positive, I have enjoyed and done a lot more things that I thought I ever would have. Instead of passing up opportunities to do things I normally wouldn't have done, I have participated in them, and gone into them with positive thoughts.
When going into things like this, it is rare not to find something I liked about it. And even if it wasn't something I liked, I usually enjoyed myself with the people around me. Too many people seem to focus on the negative of everything instead of looking on the bright side of things. The more time spent on the dark side, the harder it is to get into the light and have fun.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Being a Part of a Team
Teamwork makes a dream work. It is hard to believe that just four months ago, I did not know a single person on my team. Now I not only consider these girls teammates, but family, my sisters away from home. We have all been through a lot together these past few months that has bonded us together forever. Pushing each other through practice, to helping finish schoolwork. Laying in bed for hours laughing and talking getting to know each other, and yet being there for each other when we have needed a shoulder to cry on.
It is so hard to believe that five of these girls will not be back on the field with us next year. Each person on our team brought a different quality to the team whether it be the funny joke, or heart warming story. Coming from three different countries, and eleven different states, we have a wide variety of people coming from various backgrounds, yet everyone gets along as if we have known each other for years.
Being part of this team has been such an enjoyment for me. I thought I would be homesick because of going so far from home, but the girls have made Memphis my new home. If it wasn't for all their love and respect they have given me, I don't know if I would still be here, but because of them, coming to Memphis was the best decision I could have ever made.
It is so hard to believe that five of these girls will not be back on the field with us next year. Each person on our team brought a different quality to the team whether it be the funny joke, or heart warming story. Coming from three different countries, and eleven different states, we have a wide variety of people coming from various backgrounds, yet everyone gets along as if we have known each other for years.
Being part of this team has been such an enjoyment for me. I thought I would be homesick because of going so far from home, but the girls have made Memphis my new home. If it wasn't for all their love and respect they have given me, I don't know if I would still be here, but because of them, coming to Memphis was the best decision I could have ever made.
St. Jude's Marathon
This morning I woke up early to go cheer on people at the St. Jude's Marathon. I originally planned on running in this event, but due to being sick, I decided to just go watch because I wanted to be part of such a good cause. Even though I was disappointed not being able to run in the event, it was an extremely heart touching experience I think everyone should endure.
I understand that everyone has very busy lives, but events like the St. Jude's Marathon are important to attend. It was truly amazing to see all the people come together to run in the marathon and half marathon events, and also all the volunteers and fans cheering on the sides.
Each year thousands of children with a variety of diseases and illnesses are saved by St. Jude's Hospital, but none of that could be accomplished if it wasn't for the support of the community around it. Because St. Jude's runs soley on the money and time people donate, this hospital would not be a success without our support.
It was really nice to see how excited everyone running in the race, and watching was. This is one event that I wish everyone could experience.
I understand that everyone has very busy lives, but events like the St. Jude's Marathon are important to attend. It was truly amazing to see all the people come together to run in the marathon and half marathon events, and also all the volunteers and fans cheering on the sides.
Each year thousands of children with a variety of diseases and illnesses are saved by St. Jude's Hospital, but none of that could be accomplished if it wasn't for the support of the community around it. Because St. Jude's runs soley on the money and time people donate, this hospital would not be a success without our support.
It was really nice to see how excited everyone running in the race, and watching was. This is one event that I wish everyone could experience.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thanksgiving
The weeks leading up to going home for Thanksgiving were quite stressful with all of our soccer traveling. It was so nice to go to the airport without all of my soccer gear and uniforms. When I woke up Wed morning to head home, I was nervous that my flight would be delayed because of the horrible storm! It was raining so hard outside I didn't know if was ever going to stop. By the time my flight left, the weather had cleared up enough for my flight to take off.
When arrived home in Columbus, the weather was very cold and rainy, but a smile was put on my face the moment I saw my family. I had not seen my sisters since I left for school the beginning of August, so I was beyond excited to see them. As for the rest of my family, it had still been a month since I had seen my parents, and two months since I saw my brothers.
Throughout the whole break, I spent most of my time with my family. I did get to see my friends, a few times, but with it being such a short break, my focus went to my family. We had a really nice Thanksgiving! Tons of food, especially sweet potatoes, one of my favorite foods! We also got a little bit of Christmas shopping done.
Before I left to come back to Memphis on Sunday, we finished putting up our Christmas tree. We always put up our tree together, so my mom wanted to make sure I was there to par-take in the events.
When arrived home in Columbus, the weather was very cold and rainy, but a smile was put on my face the moment I saw my family. I had not seen my sisters since I left for school the beginning of August, so I was beyond excited to see them. As for the rest of my family, it had still been a month since I had seen my parents, and two months since I saw my brothers.
Throughout the whole break, I spent most of my time with my family. I did get to see my friends, a few times, but with it being such a short break, my focus went to my family. We had a really nice Thanksgiving! Tons of food, especially sweet potatoes, one of my favorite foods! We also got a little bit of Christmas shopping done.
Before I left to come back to Memphis on Sunday, we finished putting up our Christmas tree. We always put up our tree together, so my mom wanted to make sure I was there to par-take in the events.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Lists and Paragraphs
List A
1. Family
2. Friends
3. God
4. Honesty
5. Soccer
6. Education
7. Working Hard
8. Staying Positive
9. Tell people how you feel
10. outdoors
11. running
12. rollerblading
13. beach
14. home
15. candy
16. ice cream
17. tennis shoes
18. palm trees
19. Colts
List B
1. rude people
2. people who only care about themself
3. snakes
4. cats
5. bugs
6. not talking to people
7. not talking to my family
8. being alone
9. salad dressings
10. chips
11. people who focus on the negatives
12. exams, tests
13. make-up work
14. Dallas Cowboys
11 A is like 8 B
Running is like being alone because when I go running, I am usually by myself. I never realized that one of the things I love to do and one of the things I hate to do relate so closely to each other. Running is the only time I can say I enjoy being by myself. I am a huge people person so I am rarely by myself. If for some reason I am alone though, I tend to go running because I have no patience at all. I always have to be doing something. While I am alone, running, it is my time to myself where I can think about whatever is going through my head. Most people like to just sit and thing by themselves, whereas I enjoy running while I think.
4 A is not like 5 A
Honesty and soccer are not alike because sometimes you have to do unhonest things on the soccer field to succeed. When your winning one to zero and there are only a few minutes left, you might have to kick the ball really far out of bounds on purpose to waste time. Or in other cases, you might throw the ball in even when you know it is not your throw in, or purposely cheap shot someone. Cheating and being unhonest are very similar to me. When you cheat, your are being unhonest, but sometimes you have to be unhonest to win. When playing competitive sports, players do everything in their power to win, including being unhonest. During practice, we always say, "If your not cheating, your not trying."
5 B is like 7 B
Bugs are like not talking to my family because they both make me feel very uncomfortable. I hate being around bugs, just like I hate not talking to my family. When I see a bug in the house and someone doesn't either put it outside, or kill it, I feel uncomfortable because I don't want it to come by me. At the same time, I feel uncomfortable not talking to my family because I do not know how they are or where they are.
Bugs are also black and ugly, just like some of the arguments me and my siblings get in. Lastly, bugs are like not talking to my family because I would never talk back to my parents, just like I would never touch a bug.
Final Paragraph
After looking over my lists and paragraphs, it seems as if I I am a happy, easy going person because everything I listed and said was quite positive. I never got to critical or mean about the topics I disliked because I seemed to put a greater focus on the good in everything. Throughout the paragraphs, I constantly used the words "I feel" showing that I write a lot about my emotions, and the things that have happened directly to me, rather than other peoples generalizations and thoughts. Most of the things I write are based on my past experiences because I am able to add personal touches to the work. Because I was in the experience, I am able to add my thoughts, emotions, and details as I portrayed them throughout the memory, rather than guessing how I would have felt, or what I would have done.
1. Family
2. Friends
3. God
4. Honesty
5. Soccer
6. Education
7. Working Hard
8. Staying Positive
9. Tell people how you feel
10. outdoors
11. running
12. rollerblading
13. beach
14. home
15. candy
16. ice cream
17. tennis shoes
18. palm trees
19. Colts
List B
1. rude people
2. people who only care about themself
3. snakes
4. cats
5. bugs
6. not talking to people
7. not talking to my family
8. being alone
9. salad dressings
10. chips
11. people who focus on the negatives
12. exams, tests
13. make-up work
14. Dallas Cowboys
11 A is like 8 B
Running is like being alone because when I go running, I am usually by myself. I never realized that one of the things I love to do and one of the things I hate to do relate so closely to each other. Running is the only time I can say I enjoy being by myself. I am a huge people person so I am rarely by myself. If for some reason I am alone though, I tend to go running because I have no patience at all. I always have to be doing something. While I am alone, running, it is my time to myself where I can think about whatever is going through my head. Most people like to just sit and thing by themselves, whereas I enjoy running while I think.
4 A is not like 5 A
Honesty and soccer are not alike because sometimes you have to do unhonest things on the soccer field to succeed. When your winning one to zero and there are only a few minutes left, you might have to kick the ball really far out of bounds on purpose to waste time. Or in other cases, you might throw the ball in even when you know it is not your throw in, or purposely cheap shot someone. Cheating and being unhonest are very similar to me. When you cheat, your are being unhonest, but sometimes you have to be unhonest to win. When playing competitive sports, players do everything in their power to win, including being unhonest. During practice, we always say, "If your not cheating, your not trying."
5 B is like 7 B
Bugs are like not talking to my family because they both make me feel very uncomfortable. I hate being around bugs, just like I hate not talking to my family. When I see a bug in the house and someone doesn't either put it outside, or kill it, I feel uncomfortable because I don't want it to come by me. At the same time, I feel uncomfortable not talking to my family because I do not know how they are or where they are.
Bugs are also black and ugly, just like some of the arguments me and my siblings get in. Lastly, bugs are like not talking to my family because I would never talk back to my parents, just like I would never touch a bug.
Final Paragraph
After looking over my lists and paragraphs, it seems as if I I am a happy, easy going person because everything I listed and said was quite positive. I never got to critical or mean about the topics I disliked because I seemed to put a greater focus on the good in everything. Throughout the paragraphs, I constantly used the words "I feel" showing that I write a lot about my emotions, and the things that have happened directly to me, rather than other peoples generalizations and thoughts. Most of the things I write are based on my past experiences because I am able to add personal touches to the work. Because I was in the experience, I am able to add my thoughts, emotions, and details as I portrayed them throughout the memory, rather than guessing how I would have felt, or what I would have done.
Friday, November 9, 2007
What I Want to Be
It seems like everything in my life has something to do with soccer. I don't know if I will every get away from the sport but it has helped me grow so much as a person. Not only have I made many life long best friends, but I have also learned how to interact with people I don't necessarily agree with, and I have learned to work as a group to achieve a common goal, to succeed! I never realized how many aspects of my life revolve around soccer, but when I was thinking of something to write about, I thought about how I decided what I want to be professionally. Amazingly, I did not want to be a professional soccer player, but through playing soccer, I did find a profession that fits me perfectly.
The spring of my freshman year of high school our soccer team, Fusion, traveled to Lexington, Kentucky for a big soccer tournament. I remember that it was extremely hot, especially because we were playing on turf fields. The black tires in the turf made your feet feel like they were burning, and there was steam streaming off the field. It was the first time that we had really played a tournament on turf fields and I specifically remember my coach asking me if I liked playing on grass or turf better. My answer was that I like grass better because it seemed like more people got injuried playing on turf.
So, the tournament continues, and we continue to win. Finally, on sunday the championship game rolls around and we were going to get to play our first game on the grass field!! We were all so excited because our team was much more used to playing on grass, to people who don't play soccer, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but playing on grass or turf really does make a difference. We were going to play a team from Georgia for the Championship game and we were all excited and pumped up!
After the first ten minutes of the game, we knew it was going to be a battle! As the whistle blew for halftime, we all went running into a huddle to talk about what had to be done differently. The scored was tied 0-0 and we had 45 min left to play.
About ten minutes into the second half, I went to clear the ball out of our end when a girl took a cheap shot at my right leg. As I fell to the ground, my teammates ran around me to make sure I was okay, but I wasn't moving much. My coach then came running out and carried me off the field because I could not walk. I sat on the bench the rest of the game in pain, cheering on our team to victory. We ended up winning the game 1-0.
After the game, my coach and another dad carried me to the award ceremony where we recieved trophies. Once the award ceremony was over, Terry, pretty much my second mom, called my mom to tell her that I had hurt my leg pretty bad. The trainer was unsure if I tore my achilles tendon or broke my shin. Terry said she would take me to the hospital in Lexington, but I just wanted to go home and go to my doctor when I got home.
So we drove three hours home, and waited for my mom to come pick me up from Terry's house. Once she got there, I just wanted to go home, so I went to the doctor the next day, Monday. It turns out I broke my shin all the way through so I would be in a cast for quite some time, 12 weeks to be exact. It was a very long recovery process, but throughout the whole process, I stayed positive making it go by quickly.
When I stepped back on the field for the first time after getting hurt, I knew that I wanted to be a Physical Therapist. With out a Physical Therapist, it would not be here today playing Division 1 soccer. Being a Physical Therapist is such a rewarding job, and you get to help so many people get back to the things they enjoy most.
Although breaking my shin was not a fun thing, it helped me decide a huge decision in my life, what I wanted to be.
The spring of my freshman year of high school our soccer team, Fusion, traveled to Lexington, Kentucky for a big soccer tournament. I remember that it was extremely hot, especially because we were playing on turf fields. The black tires in the turf made your feet feel like they were burning, and there was steam streaming off the field. It was the first time that we had really played a tournament on turf fields and I specifically remember my coach asking me if I liked playing on grass or turf better. My answer was that I like grass better because it seemed like more people got injuried playing on turf.
So, the tournament continues, and we continue to win. Finally, on sunday the championship game rolls around and we were going to get to play our first game on the grass field!! We were all so excited because our team was much more used to playing on grass, to people who don't play soccer, it doesn't seem like a big deal, but playing on grass or turf really does make a difference. We were going to play a team from Georgia for the Championship game and we were all excited and pumped up!
After the first ten minutes of the game, we knew it was going to be a battle! As the whistle blew for halftime, we all went running into a huddle to talk about what had to be done differently. The scored was tied 0-0 and we had 45 min left to play.
About ten minutes into the second half, I went to clear the ball out of our end when a girl took a cheap shot at my right leg. As I fell to the ground, my teammates ran around me to make sure I was okay, but I wasn't moving much. My coach then came running out and carried me off the field because I could not walk. I sat on the bench the rest of the game in pain, cheering on our team to victory. We ended up winning the game 1-0.
After the game, my coach and another dad carried me to the award ceremony where we recieved trophies. Once the award ceremony was over, Terry, pretty much my second mom, called my mom to tell her that I had hurt my leg pretty bad. The trainer was unsure if I tore my achilles tendon or broke my shin. Terry said she would take me to the hospital in Lexington, but I just wanted to go home and go to my doctor when I got home.
So we drove three hours home, and waited for my mom to come pick me up from Terry's house. Once she got there, I just wanted to go home, so I went to the doctor the next day, Monday. It turns out I broke my shin all the way through so I would be in a cast for quite some time, 12 weeks to be exact. It was a very long recovery process, but throughout the whole process, I stayed positive making it go by quickly.
When I stepped back on the field for the first time after getting hurt, I knew that I wanted to be a Physical Therapist. With out a Physical Therapist, it would not be here today playing Division 1 soccer. Being a Physical Therapist is such a rewarding job, and you get to help so many people get back to the things they enjoy most.
Although breaking my shin was not a fun thing, it helped me decide a huge decision in my life, what I wanted to be.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Plane Ride
This past weekend was a weekend full of mixed emotions. It all started on Thurday morning, as we got ready to head to Huntington, West Virginia to play Marshall. Our day started off nice and early at 7:30am when our soccer team had to meet at South Campus to get on a bus to take us to the airport. From there, our flight to Marshall was not a direct flight so we left Memphis at 9:30 am and landed in Charlotte at around 12:00 eastern time. We then had a layover at the Charlotte airport for two hours until we could get on the connection plane to Huntington, West Virginia. As 2:00 rolled around, everyone began to get ready to board the plane. I was extremely excited to go to Marshall because I was going to get to see my parents, grandparents, and some friends because Marshall is only about two and a half hours from my home.
As we all got on the plane, we were shocked at how small it was. It only seated about 30 people, and it had propellors! Our flight to Marshall was supposed to be a quick one so everyone was anxious to get in the air, but once we got up in the air, something did not seem right. When I looked out the window it did not seem like we were high enough in the air, but I just figured it had to do with being in a small plane and only going a short distance, so I kept talking to Brittney, the girl sitting next to me. After looking out the window again a few minutes later, I noticed that the propellor of our small plane was no longer spinning.
Now I was extremely confused. Was the propellor just moving so fast that it didn't appear to be spinning, or was it really stopping? As I sat starring out the window, Brittney began to get extremely nervous at what she was watching. Brittney is always a very scared and nervous flier, and this was not making my situation sitting next to her any better. Seconds later, Brittney began crying when she saw the wheels of the plane began come out as if we were landing. It was an extremely weird sight to see knowing that we had only been in the air for about fifteen minutes. Then everyone broke loose in the plane.
An obnoxious man in the front of the plane began barking rude comments to the flight attendent whose eyes became very big as she realized what was happening. She quickly began to calm everyone saying that everything was okay, that we were heading back to the Charlotte airport because the plane was not functioning properly. As we quickly turned around and relanded in the Charlotte airport, many emergency vechicals followed our flight into the boarding zone. Once we got off the plane, we were told that one of the engines on the plane blew. We all sat dazed and confused on what had just happened.
After sitting around talking for a few minutes in the airport, I decided to call my mom and tell her what had just happend. She asked me if I had been nervous, but my answer to her was kind of shocking to me. In all honesty, I was not nervous or scared as everything unfolded because I don't think I was given the chance to be. I am always a calm flier, so Brittney and I usually sit together because she hates flying so much. As things began to go wrong with the plane, I was too worried about keeping Brittney calm, so I never really realized everything that was happening directly around me with our plane. After talking with my mom for a few more minutes, I had to hang up to listen to the news the airport was giving us concerning our flights.
They said that our flight would be delayed till at least 5:30pm because they were trying to either fix our plane, or find another one to take us to Huntington. As it turns out, they could not come up with a solution for our flight plan, so our flight was cancelled. With the sound of that, our coaches and the airport attendents went off to find an alternate way of getting us to Marshall. After our crazy flight, many girls wanted to take a bus, but instead, we got on a different flight at 8:40pm.
This made it an extremely long day for us. We left campus at 7:30am on Thursday, and did not arrive in Huntington until 10:30pm that night. By the time we finally got to our hotel, everyone was so tired and exhausted that everyone went directly to bed. It had been a very long and tiring day, but thankfully, everyone was in bed safe and sound!
As we all got on the plane, we were shocked at how small it was. It only seated about 30 people, and it had propellors! Our flight to Marshall was supposed to be a quick one so everyone was anxious to get in the air, but once we got up in the air, something did not seem right. When I looked out the window it did not seem like we were high enough in the air, but I just figured it had to do with being in a small plane and only going a short distance, so I kept talking to Brittney, the girl sitting next to me. After looking out the window again a few minutes later, I noticed that the propellor of our small plane was no longer spinning.
Now I was extremely confused. Was the propellor just moving so fast that it didn't appear to be spinning, or was it really stopping? As I sat starring out the window, Brittney began to get extremely nervous at what she was watching. Brittney is always a very scared and nervous flier, and this was not making my situation sitting next to her any better. Seconds later, Brittney began crying when she saw the wheels of the plane began come out as if we were landing. It was an extremely weird sight to see knowing that we had only been in the air for about fifteen minutes. Then everyone broke loose in the plane.
An obnoxious man in the front of the plane began barking rude comments to the flight attendent whose eyes became very big as she realized what was happening. She quickly began to calm everyone saying that everything was okay, that we were heading back to the Charlotte airport because the plane was not functioning properly. As we quickly turned around and relanded in the Charlotte airport, many emergency vechicals followed our flight into the boarding zone. Once we got off the plane, we were told that one of the engines on the plane blew. We all sat dazed and confused on what had just happened.
After sitting around talking for a few minutes in the airport, I decided to call my mom and tell her what had just happend. She asked me if I had been nervous, but my answer to her was kind of shocking to me. In all honesty, I was not nervous or scared as everything unfolded because I don't think I was given the chance to be. I am always a calm flier, so Brittney and I usually sit together because she hates flying so much. As things began to go wrong with the plane, I was too worried about keeping Brittney calm, so I never really realized everything that was happening directly around me with our plane. After talking with my mom for a few more minutes, I had to hang up to listen to the news the airport was giving us concerning our flights.
They said that our flight would be delayed till at least 5:30pm because they were trying to either fix our plane, or find another one to take us to Huntington. As it turns out, they could not come up with a solution for our flight plan, so our flight was cancelled. With the sound of that, our coaches and the airport attendents went off to find an alternate way of getting us to Marshall. After our crazy flight, many girls wanted to take a bus, but instead, we got on a different flight at 8:40pm.
This made it an extremely long day for us. We left campus at 7:30am on Thursday, and did not arrive in Huntington until 10:30pm that night. By the time we finally got to our hotel, everyone was so tired and exhausted that everyone went directly to bed. It had been a very long and tiring day, but thankfully, everyone was in bed safe and sound!
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