Just Keep Swimming
When I was very young, I would hear stories of my family snorkeling. I was too young to participate so instead I would get goggles and rubber fish and look at them underwater in a bathtub. I would stay in the water until I was a prune, taking deep breaths and staying under the water longer then I was out of it. I wondered how I would react to seeing a real shark or something scary underwater.
When I was 8, my family and I went to Hawaii. I had finally received the thumbs up to go snorkeling. The vastness of the ocean was very intimidating and I kind of wished it was the size of the bathtub that I was used to. I mustered up the courage and got in. It was like a whole different world and I was pointing out every single different fish. In the middle of my amusement, I got caught in a current and pulled downward and to the side. My older brother reached out and snatched me up next to him. I wasn’t scared, I kept going, but I was like a leach on my brother. Everywhere he went, I was right next to him.
Four years later, I was in Florida on a snorkeling trip with my family. When we got in the water, I once again clung to my brother, following him everywhere he went, not drifting too far from him. We soon came face to face with a six foot barracuda. I wasn’t scared, I kept swimming.
One year later, I went on another snorkeling trip. This time my brother had gone to college and I was on my own. I started out a little squeamish but soon I was going without any hesitation, I kind of liked being by myself. As I was swimming, a ten foot bull shark swam in front of my face. I wasn’t scared, I kept swimming. I even followed it for 20 minutes.
3 years later I went snorkeling in the murky waters of mangroves. I saw sting rays and being scared of sharks didn’t even cross my mind. I was so used to being independent while snorkeling that I didn’t even notice my younger brother next to me. He followed me the whole time and didn’t leave my side. Every once in a while I would slow down so he could keep up.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
As I wake up all I can see is the silhouettes of peoples bodies and voices that sound stretched out and deeper then normal. I try to sit up but the nurse demands that I lie down and relax. Still a little drugged up I look at her with a smirk on my face and tell her I should get surgery more often. I doze back to sleep.
During the bus ride to the game I sat by myself. I was trying to relax.
I woke up for the second time and this time I was overwhelmed. Little did I know that I get very sick when I go under anesthetics. I managed to get into a wheel chair and I was escorted to the car. My knee was throbbing sharp with pain. It was weird even though my leg was completely numb I could still feel the sharp pain when I moved it. I managed to hobble into the car and it took off. Half way home I threw up.
We arrived at the field. As I walked off the bus and approached our bench I started to get nervous. I felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn’t shake it. I put on all of my gear and I prepared for the pre game stretching and drills. Before I knew it the ball was kicked and the game started. It all went by in an instant. I sprinted onto the field for offense, I was running back. The first drive I felt unstoppable I was getting the ball and running through, around, and past the opposing players. I felt like I could not be stopped. By now the nauseas feeling had disappeared and the only thing in my mind was getting the ball and running like a bull.
When I got home my dad opened the door for me and helped me out of the car. My arms felt like jello and it was a struggle to make my way to door. I felt like I was going to collapse, that my muscles would just stop working. I walked into my house and gifts riddled the table. I went straight to the couch. I managed to lie down and before I knew it I was once again asleep.
We had scored our first touchdown of the season and every time I went back to the side line my teammates would tell me how amazingly good I was playing. I felt on top of the world. I felt like nothing could stop me. I guess I spoke too soon.
During the bus ride to the game I sat by myself. I was trying to relax.
I woke up for the second time and this time I was overwhelmed. Little did I know that I get very sick when I go under anesthetics. I managed to get into a wheel chair and I was escorted to the car. My knee was throbbing sharp with pain. It was weird even though my leg was completely numb I could still feel the sharp pain when I moved it. I managed to hobble into the car and it took off. Half way home I threw up.
We arrived at the field. As I walked off the bus and approached our bench I started to get nervous. I felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn’t shake it. I put on all of my gear and I prepared for the pre game stretching and drills. Before I knew it the ball was kicked and the game started. It all went by in an instant. I sprinted onto the field for offense, I was running back. The first drive I felt unstoppable I was getting the ball and running through, around, and past the opposing players. I felt like I could not be stopped. By now the nauseas feeling had disappeared and the only thing in my mind was getting the ball and running like a bull.
When I got home my dad opened the door for me and helped me out of the car. My arms felt like jello and it was a struggle to make my way to door. I felt like I was going to collapse, that my muscles would just stop working. I walked into my house and gifts riddled the table. I went straight to the couch. I managed to lie down and before I knew it I was once again asleep.
We had scored our first touchdown of the season and every time I went back to the side line my teammates would tell me how amazingly good I was playing. I felt on top of the world. I felt like nothing could stop me. I guess I spoke too soon.
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