Memory Lane

Last Friday I played my last home basketball game ever here at SkyView Academy. As I walked out to give my parents a rose, memories flooded my head. The first time I played as a freshman down at KIPP and how we were slaughtered across court. The next year I got to play in a 5A tourney against some of the best teams in Colorado. What a joy that was. Then I flash back to my Junior year, my favorite year of basketball. My junior I worked my way up the charts to become the 24th in the state in scoring at 19.7 points per game, and was ranked 8th in next years preseasons polls. Now I look back on my senior season and all that I have accomplished.

What I love about these memories is that they will be with me forever. No matter what anyone says, whatever happens to me, I will always have these memories to comfort and guide me.

We all have memories good or bad and these will be with is forever. No matter how much we try and get rid of them they will always be there. But these are good to have, even if they are bad. We can look back and say "Wow I was an idiot!" and we can take that and correct our mistakes. Don't ever wish to have your memories taken away. "Some memories never fade."

Life of Pride

"And on the pedestal these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings"

This line from the poem "Ozymandias" has such a sense of pride. The power that it has in it just echos. In our lives we need to have a sense of pride in something we do. If we just continue in our lives and have something that doesn't have any meaning to us then why are we even doing that thing? Have a sense of pride in what you do. My freshman year my basketball coach said "Have some pride in yourselves!" This was after we were losing terribly in a game, and then that hit me. Why am I playing this sport if I am not going to show everyone that I car about it? I want to win. I want to show the crowd and the people watching that I love this sport and that I am proud!

In one of my favorite tv shows "Friday Night Lights" the teams motto is started with a simple question "What do we play with?" the team then responds "PRIDE!". I am not saying to only have pride in sports but, in everything that you do or apart of. If some asks who your family is and its the one screaming in the stands, you better respond "That's my family". 

Failing to Forgive

Have you ever just wanted to smash your brother or sister right in the face? It could be for anything, drinking the rest of the milk, taking your things, or maybe leaving their crap in your car after you asked nicely and doing so many, many times. We all have resentment and anger towards people who have wronged us. But its okay. People make mistakes and are not perfect.

This week as I was doing my scripture study I came across a verse that caught my interest and completely applied to me. It said "I shall forgive who I shall forgive, but you shall forgive all man." This was so great for me because for a long time i have been trying to forgive people as easily as I can, even if they aren't deserving of it, because at the end of the day I can say i've given my best and tried my hardest to be sorry, if they aren't accepting my apology it's their fault and problem now.

I have learned through my past 18 years of living that it is okay to forgive people, I would rather forgive and forget. I love to have fun and be happy with anyone, as long as I am having an enjoyable time. Why not forgive the wrong deed, or even accidental deed, and continue on with your life? Why not have fun all the time?

Growing Reality

Reality. As infants we are always told to imagine what we want to be, or people ask us what do you want to be when we grow up? Many of these follow that question; an astronaut, a cowboy, a basketball player. All these answers are dreams we hope to achieve but most never get to. As I was talking with a counselor for career options reality checked in. I could no longer be that NBA superstar because it's just not logical. 

As humans to maintain a low level of stress or keep things off our minds we go to made up worlds in our head, we picture ourselves draining the game winning shot in a big game, we picture ourselves in a movie that we've recently seen, just to escape the problems or reality of our everyday lives. In class as we were reading the poem Traveling Light by Linda Pastan, the line "But like the weather front they warn with it's switchblades of wind and ice, our lives have minds of their own." Really could completely be put into life and reality. As the stork front or our lives move along less and less of our dreams will be able to be achievable, the switchblades of ice and wind are the troubling things in the world ripping us from the fantasies we so desire. And the minds of our own are just that, minds of our own. As we grow up things change, events change us, people change, they grow closer to others and in that grow apart from others. 

Maybe it's okay to act young. We have to. If your always acting like a grown strict adult isn't healthy. Sometimes act like a kid. It's okay, have little excitement in your life!  

Channeling from within

If there is something that I have learned in my past 18 years of living, it's the always reoccurring, "Life is hard" saying. As life continues to get harder it's important that we have something that can help us through it. Something that can take our minds of the hard stuff, and bring us back to reality. Whether it's family, friends, art, reading, music, sleeping, or a sport, we all need something to remove us from the world. 

Something that helps me get back on track, or helps me take a breath, is basketball. I am lucky enough that my church has it's own gym accessible at any time for me. I can at any time go there and play. Just me, myself, and I. Basketball has always been an outlet for stress, thinking, or to help me make a hard decision. What calms me is that it is silent, and all that can be heard is the bouncing of the ball. No outside force to influence it distract me from my goal. 

We are getting older and having to take on more responsibility. We can always just handle everything at once, all the time, it's not good for us as humans. We all need something to redirect our inner feelings. We all need something to help is channel our deepest thoughts. 

Peace of my Mind

Peace. The definition of this is the absences of war, and a time of tranquility and calmness. Can it ever be achieved? Of course to this long and in depth question requires a, long and in depth answer. No it can never be achieved. Our world has so many conflicting groups, that not everyone will agree on every topic. After reading an article on the very small, but impactful group called the Westboro Baptist Church, they are very set in their ways. They will never have anything to do with, have affiliation with, or accept into their community the homosexual group. The military's policy is to allow and person, of any sexual orientation into their ranks, if they are qualified. These two groups have been arguing and in legal trouble for many years, they will never change their views, they will always be fighting. Without these different ideas though, our world would not advance. We need inspiration, thought, ideas, a spark! Our world would never have gotten this far, if it isn't for idea then we would never have excelled in areas such as: Medicine, art, architecture, science, math, and technology. As long as groups are conflicting over resources like oil, technology, food, water, and even love of another, we will have groups that are conflicting. Therefore in our ever so changing world, our world can never reach peace.      

Covered Up

Our natural image. It is what we look like in our most natural state. No make up. No photo enhancing programs. No photo shop. In rhetoric, our weekly seminar was on photo shop and how it either enhances our beauty or it takes away the natural beauty of things and gives a false outlook on our image. There are just some things in this world that cannot be changed, or should not be changed. Yes, the powers of make up and photo shop make us look our best, but so we want people to see us as ourselves? Or do you want others to see you covered up? When I was reading this, it made me feel like "Of course I want to look my best, but I also want to be seen as myself." I came to the conclusion that if we are enhanced, but only for people to remember us at our best looking. If our senior photo was taken and enhanced people would only remember our picture. It's the memories we make with others that we are remembered by. Now I am not just saying this because I had a bad photo, but that I enjoy the memories with others, more than the photos taken of the person. Memories create better pictures in our head, more than any enhanced or photo shopped program can.