"Xavior! Hello, come on hurry wake up! Come on, you have to shower". Ok, I’m up, I’m up. I said even though I was practically lying. My little brother was already up. He always gets up first he takes those long timely showers. I love how my mom wakes me up. It’s always pleasant and calm. She feels that the way you wake up in the morning will determine how the rest of the day will go. I guess it is somewhat correct, but I think it just makes the morning routine just a little easier and polite. For that reason she is usually extra polite in the morning.

I slowly climb out of my bunk to hobble into the bathroom to do my morning ritual. I did drink a glass of water a couple of hours ago. After completing, I toss ice water on my face to somewhat blast me awake. I was so disorientated that I threw most of the water over my shoulder. I turn and bend with paper towel to wipe the cold water off the floor only to release that it was absorbed by a tee shirt on the floor. Oh well, easier for me. I stand up to greet my younger brother good morning, he just grunts from the other side of the shower curtain. He is not the nicest person in the morning.

I then go into the living room to watch ESPN’s Sport Center. This is a necessary feature to my day. This is a television show that is similar to a morning news cast but only its all sports. They show it like six times in a row in the morning so eventually I get to watch it, as well as my brother. We are big sports fans obviously. I like basketball or I would not play it. I also enjoy football and baseball. My little brother for the most part likes whatever I like. That is not just with sports. He is a very good baseball player. He is 10 and he plays with boys 12 and 13. He is that good. I hear my mother holler "why don’t you get some breakfast while you watch that." I reply with the classic response, "Yes mom." I quickly grab a bowl of cereal and return to the television.

It’s a nice television about 22 inches. Anyway let me focus on the highlights from the basketball games. "Shaq gave the Pistons the treatment!" the broadcaster said in modern slang terms, they stay pretty up to date with the language. " He dropped 42 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assist, can anyone say shaq diesel!" the sportscaster exclaimed with a bit too much excitement. I can see the veins protruding out his neck through the television. He is an amazing athlete. He is a little over 7 foot with about 5 percent body fat, at 320 pounds. That’s amazing. Besides being in outstanding shape and a all star player he is a respectable guy. He does community work and I have never heard anything negative said about him in the news.

Its horrible to hear about athletes that do the wrong thing. They have so many youthful eyes that observe there every action. They have no choice but to be role models. But on the other hand they are not raising their youthful fans. Its not their fault children do wrong things. Its parents job to teach what is right and wrong. Kids should only look up to these guys for sports inspiration. Like "I want to be a great point guard like Jason Kidd" and "I’m not gonna beat the shit out of my girl when she is out of place like Jason Kidd."

Another example is the controversial Allen Iverson. He is the top scorer in the league who looks a bit different and released a expulsed rap album. He also has a lengthy criminal record, and by some he is the "bad boy" of professional basketball. For youthful basketball players I can understand why they want to be like him. He can strait out play ball. He is flashy and frankly he has got skills. I remember when he dribbled the ball in such a way that threw his defender Michel Jordan off balance, also know as a "crossover". Everyone wants to play like him, to take the defense apart and control the game, while looking real smooth. The rap album is a another story I guess. He has one verse in it where he says "fucken with me, will leave you sleeping where the maggots bee." He is different, tattoos, corn rolled hair baggie clothing. Basically he is a thug. It is his will to drop a rap album, it’s an expression of who he is. It’s cool for a kid of my caliber to listen to it. I can distinguish that it is an expression of emotions, thoughts and of creativity of best he knows how. But a 10-year-old can’t. At that age that child would mix those two worlds together. He would incorporate being a good baller with being an outlaw. If you were to really think about it, that’s why there are advisory sticker on the CD. Allen must face the media now about the CD. Which is necessary I feel. Even though I support the idea of freedom of creativity I don’t encourage it if it is damaging. Its all a question of when is to much to much?

Speaking of Allen Iverson there he is, moving smooth looking thuggish on my television. "Allen was amazing against the Knicks! Watch this!" the caster said looking as if he was about to pass out from excitement. The TV showed a high light of Allen "giving the cross" to knicks back up point guard Charlie Ward. Why would the coach put this featherweight against Allen. On the highlight Allen is dribbling quickly between his legs then jerks his body one way. I can’t guess what his next move will be he is so good and unpredictable but I can’t wait to see it, then he… "Xavior go take a shower Josh is done!" I turn my head to look at my mother while she calls and miss the highlight. Oh well there is always the next game, which I am sure someone else will catch the cross.

I walk through my picture filled hallway into a door on the left also known as the bathroom. I cross my little brother’s path and tell him, "you have to see Sportscenter, Shaq was nasty and Allen embarrassed Word." I told him in hopes to catch the re-run that they show repeatedly. Anyway, I strip down to take a shower, and stop to look at my lengthy body in the mirror. "I’m so sexy"

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