Personal Narrative: Work Now, Play Later

It was August 28th 2013 , I knew the next day would be the biggest day of my life. All throughout the week, all I had on my mind was the big game. When I woke up on that Friday morning chills would run through my body a bolt of electricity. Knowing I’m one day away from one of the biggest games of my life. The winner has a spot in the playoffs. I was so excited and anxious that I went for a run around my neighborhood because I was filled with so much energy. When I got back from my run I had a creamy peanut butter and nutella sandwich. The best sandwich I’ve ever conceived to this day. Next thing I had to do was take my shower and get all my stuff prepared for the big game.

I have been in the Marine Corps for roughly three and a half years and throughout that time I have done many things. Most of the things that I have done were with Combat Logistics Battalion 26. For three years, I worked with that unit through work ups and a deployment and I have seen and done many unique things. However, nothing I did with CLB 26 felt fulfilling, but that all changed when I changed units to CLB 8.

The cheer of the crowd and the laughter of the kids in the air were the only things reminding me that it was just a game. Eight and a half innings, seven pitching changes by both teams, twenty-seven runs scored in all, and we were still losing. The sweat came dripping off my nose and forehead like melting ice. My eyes stung, and I could barely keep them open due to the bright rays of the sun beating down on the dirt and grass, the baseball diamond seemingly larger than it had been eight and a half innings ago. My coach’s whisper rang through my ears. “Only if you think you can,” he said so softly that I had to almost lean in to hear what he said. I was on third base, with the winner of the game was being decided by one out. We had made

If I'm in...I'll be All-In. While I'll be the first of family and friends to attend the University of Colorado, Boulder and unsure of the challenges within the campus community, I know myself. I am at my best when I fully commit.

I have been working like a machine for the past seven days. I have been getting up at the crack of dawn every morning and getting our oxen ready to go. I try as best I can to help with breakfast so that Mrs. right doesn't have to take care of us that much. After that I wake the children up, we all eat breakfast, and head on our way. When the sun is high in the sky we stop for lunch. Lunch is most likely a sandwich and a small drink of water, then once again, we pack up, and then continue going. A few hours before the sun is about to set, we set up camp. All of the women start making a big dinner, all of the men round up the animals and put them in the circle of wagons, and the children play for a little while. Once that is done we all

It was the last inning, the count was two balls and two strikes with two outs. Our catcher calls a curveball, I move three steps to my right. Alex is in the stretch, he starts his motion towards home, the runner on first breaks for second base. The pitch is delivered and the ball is hit directly up the middle and over the pitcher’s head, coming from shortstop, I break to my left, I am about to catch the ball when I glance at the runner. He was sliding right into me, I caught the ball, jumped up, and threw the ball while in mid-air. It was a perfect throw, right to the first baseman’s chest. That was it, the game was over, we had just beaten the number one team in the country to advance to the world series! We all threw

Just like any other game day, I drive to school and make sure I have all my uniforms and gloves, and load up on to the bus with my 20 best friends and hit the road. The day was perfect, in a way that was cloudy and a little breeze coming in, the game was in Georgetown and we had cancelled school, which means the entire town was coming to watch us play the most important game of our lives. So of course I was a mess of emotions, but that thirty minute bus ride was the best one yet, we were all getting in our own little game time zones but at the same time enjoying the moment and realizing we had made it to State. We hadn’t realized that we were making Salado history for soccer, we were just playing the sport we loved with the people who loved

I worked at a Starbucks in the mornings and did my intern work in the afternoons/evenings. It was a good system, though sometimes it would be a little close when I went overtime in the mornings. I still made it to “second work” on time (usually), which was good, since it was the whole reason I was in Cali. I was pretty busy for most of the day, but that was good, because I like to keep busy. I knew that if I wasn’t working I would probably be at home doing nothing, so my schedule was fine.

My dad and I have always loved playing basketball together. Not only do we enjoy playing the sport, we are also avid fans, especially of the Xavier Musketeers. The court (our driveway), is where we have the most fun competing against each other. I remember one game especially well. “Make it-take it or horse?” my dad asked. “Make it-take it!” I responded. Those were always our favorite options, but I’m partial to one on one, make it take it. I was about 10 years old at the time and had managed to keep the game tied at 14 points. I had the ball with only 6 points to go. I was determined to get a quick layup, mainly because I knew I couldn’t lose the momentum which was so crucial in make it-take it. Despite my effort driving to the basket, I missed and he rebounded the ball. He retreated and shot a three. As I had feared, he made it easily. The score was 17-14, his ball again. I could feel the game slipping away from my control and played my best defense. I checked the ball back to him and right as it touched his hands, it left his hands. He shot a three from the same exact spot, with the same exact outcome, a perfect swoosh. I had lost. “Play again?” I

Have you ever been so desperate for something that you redevelop your motive in its entirety? Throughout my life I’ve found myself placed in this frightening situation multiple times; the most confusing of which would be what I’ve endured this year. People in their 20s have it rough anyway. We’re old enough to feel like we’re supposed to know what we’re doing, yet young enough to be clueless and it still be acceptable; then there’s those of us who think we’ve got it all figured out only to be proven tremendously wrong. I have learned, however, that being tremendously wrong can lead you right where you need to be.

J. R. R. Tolkien wrote, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” I have taken this quote seriously in the way that I have lived my life thus far.

It is a overcast day. I am walking to Ms. C. Johnson's class. As I look down the hallway I notice something different. Ms. Johnson is not here! As I walk around the trash can to enter the classroom, The Substitute Teacher says “Hello” to me. I come in, Grab my folder and try to complete my Do-Now. As I am finishing the Do-Now, I notice on the board, written in bold it says “Mrs. Smith”.

You could hear the crowd cheering, the coach screaming for a play to be made. Each player on the court running low on breath as the games clock was coming to an end. The score was 37 to 35 the home team was going to lose but they had the ball in their hands with only one shot left. The ball went hard into Sean’s hand as he realised that he was open on the 3 point line, this was his chance to win his team the game, to bring home the win. Sean took the shot and as the shot went up the horn blew as the timer finished. It was over, the home team had lost and with it Sean’s dream of basketball.

I think I went through this latest challenge because I likely took on too much work, in such a short period of time. During this time as I was getting more and more stressed out, I isolate myself and stay inside my head. I stopped communicating with my parents about my feelings. This always seems to be one of the first things I do, when I start struggling in a situation; stop talking to my support system. However, after a week of feeling this way and my mom prodding me into opening up to her (because she could tell something was wrong), I finally picked up the phone and called.

I’d have to say that this may just be the busiest time of my life honestly. I mean prior to returning to school and taking these classes there was a brief stint where I began working two jobs. However that period was more of a transition and did not last very long as once I became permanent at the newer job I was able to let the other go. However as I am now fitting SNHU classes into my schedule I’ve realized that lately I haven’t really had a schedule. It was more so just a race to get to work and a race to get home. The only thing that was scheduled was getting out the house by 6am with the hopes of getting to work by 8am and getting home “as soon as I could” my 5o’clock dash is serious, it seems some days my commute to work is like having