Loathing and Loving My Lax Life
Ever since I was a little kid I pondered all the mysteries of the world. When I was really little I struggled with the concept of who was the first person to come up with the “bunny ear” idea to tie your shoes. When I got a little older, I tried to figure out which really tasted better, a Sloppy Joe or a grilled cheese sandwich. Finally when I got into my teenage years and my thoughts became a little more enlightened and I pondered such unknowns as, how was the universe started, why do I look the way I do, are there such things as aliens, and many others; However, throughout all of these years of wonderment, I did discover how intense pain can really be.
At the age of seven I had joined a little league lacrosse team. Lacrosse is a very popular sport on Long Island, so as many other people might have been playing in a little league baseball team when they were kids, I was running around in the open field playing lacrosse. I loved lacrosse, because I was able to share the crazy experience with all my friends, one day, while I was gallivanting about with my lacrosse stick in my hands, I tripped, falling head first towards the ground. The blood started to ooze out of my lower lip, as I tried to unhinge my teeth from inside my lip. My bottom tooth had almost gone directly threw my lower lip. It was an atrocious sight, and an even worse feeling. I remember being able to taste the thick blood as it slid down my throat. After that day, I had sworn to myself that I would never play lacrosse again. Ironically, this was the very beginning of my lacrosse career.
After waiting another seven years, as I approached the age of fourteen, and was in my last year of middle school, lacrosse had once again become an obstacle in my life. Spring was around the corner, which meant the lacrosse season was about to start. All of my friends and both of my parents had begun to push me to play lacrosse again. My mother would badger me day and night saying, “Joshua, I really think you ought to give this lacrosse thing a chance. You never know what could happen.” I fought with much enthusiasm however my exerted energy was spent in vain, as my parents and friends had convinced me to play lacrosse again. As I arrived on the field for the first day of practice I ultimately got the crap beaten out of me. My parents, friends, and I had completely neglected the fact that everyone else had been playing the sport since a very young age, while I on the other hand would be starting from the beginning again.
Have you ever been bashed in the head by three sticks, six arms, and the brute force of three different steroid pumping adrenaline rushing boys? I know I have, because when something with that magnitude and power slams into your head, you don’t forget it. This kind of dreadful feeling plagued my lacrosse career all the way from 8th grade up until 10th grade. Finally by the time I had gotten to 10th grade my parents were seriously perusing the subject of me quitting the lacrosse team. The same two people that in the beginning pushed me so hard to start lacrosse were now furiously, and worriedly preaching to me to quit playing lacrosse. Many times after coming home from a hard days practice, and going into the refrigerator reaching for the ice, I would hear the shrill and nagging voice of my mother saying, “Honey, maybe this lacrosse thing isn’t for you. I don’t feel comfortable with you playing lacrosse anymore. I think we need to have a serious discussion about your continuation.”
However, I would merely ignore these irritating remarks and go about my business. Nevertheless, after suffering a dislocated jaw, broken toes, broken fingers, and extremely painful bruises on my arms and legs, a milestone choice in my life had become prominent.
Finally after a long hard decision my mind had been made up. I was going to do not what my parents wanted, not what others told me to do, but what I wanted to do. Lacrosse had changed from a chore in my life to a relaxing, and pleasurable experience; therefore, I was going to continue on my journey as a lacrosse player. I had started to like playing lacrosse, no matter how bad the beatings were that I undertook. Playing lacrosse became a different exciting adventure everyday when I would go out onto the field and play my heart out. No longer were other people pushing me to do something that I did not want to do, and no longer was I listening to these peer pressures. I had made my own decision, with the help of my own determination, self-will and self-motivation to maintain my status quo as a lacrosse player. Soon I will be embarking on my 4th year as a lacrosse player, as a junior, on the varsity lacrosse team, as I wear the largest smile stretching ear to ear that my face can bear.