Q1 Reflection

With all the writing we have done this quarter I now understand what my strengths as a writer are and my weaknesses. I am good at making connections and showing the reader my thoughts and feelings at certain times in my writings. But I need to improve on the quality of these by incorporating more syntax and tropes. Only then will I unlock my full potential as a writer.

A Stressful Morning

I’m suddenly woken out of my deep sleep to the sound of Danza Kuduro playing from my phone’s alarm. It is 4:45 am on a Friday. In just 75 minutes I had to be at the Columbus Military Entrance Processing Station or MEPS for my Physical. As soon as I’m ready I gather all of the necessary paperwork and begin my 45- minute drive to the MEPS facility on Hamilton Road. I’m on the freeway before I realize I had forgotten my glasses. I go cold all over and my heart starts beating a staccato in my chest. A million scenarios sprig through my mind like race horses on the track. “What will they do when they realize I don’t have them? What if they say my eyes are too bad to do any job?” I ask these questions to myself over and over again. 

College Socrates Cafe

Socrates Cafe 1

I really enjoyed my first Socrates Cafe. It allowed me to express my ideas without going through the medium of writing it and self editing. I was able to be myself and show other people how I think.

Beating the Reigning Champs

This past Tuesday we dethroned the reigning OCC champs New Albany in soccer. Over the course of the game the ball skipped, jumped and flew into the net to give us the win. I started the game at left back and defended my area like a military does its borders. Almost everything that came near me I received and distributed it off to my teammates so they could move up the field and score. The game went like this. We came. We saw. We absolutely destroyed them. It was a redeeming moment for us after losing to them last year.

My Laid Back Seneer Year

Ok, this school year is going sooo easy. I only have to be at school for five periods. I have late arrival and get to sleep in some. Then it’s AP Psych with Paoloni, so I can relax in there. Next is Anatomy where I just have to memorize a bunch of crap. Then I have Stats, where I actually have to put forth some effort in. 6-7 I have AP Gov. So I can just ask my dad about it since he know a lot about that crap. Last I have English with McCleary. It won’t be bad until the giant ass project we have at the end of the year. After those five classes I get to leave so I’m home by around 12:30 every day. Ah Seneer year will be great.

Proving Mastery

Crossfit is one of my favorite activities to do after school. It is a whole body workout that is fun to do, even though it makes me want to die after a difficult w.o.d. But as in most sports there is a place for the truly elite. The Crossfit games is where those who have succeeded in their sport go to prove not just their success, but their mastery of it as well. Because at the games they test every one of the athletes strengths as well as their weaknesses. So for me this is what mastery looks. like, standing up on that podium showing how you can succeed at what you love to do.

A Movies Wisdom

This might be a little cheesy but this chart reminds me of a very famous quote from a movie that i really love. Yoda in Star Wars gave me some of the best advice I have ever received. "Do or do not. There is no try." While you might say you tried to do something you either succeeded in doing it or you failed. So instead of saying I will try or I won't, I will set my eyes on succeeded and continuing to work towards success even if i fail over and over again because I am driven nuts by failure. So I will work to achieve my goals until I do or it no longer becomes possible. So while many people don't bother to listen to quotes in fiction movies, sometimes the advice in them is worth taking and applying to your own life

Believing in Yourself

Some of my favorite recent memories come from a place I only started going to a few months ago. Crossfit Polaris. It is a small Crossfit gym on Olde Worthington road. From the first time I walked into the gym I could feel the energy of the place. Everyone there was there to work hard in order to succeed at something. Whether that goal was to lose some weight, get into the best shape of their life, or simply to have fun. Each time I go there I want to push myself hard to achieve my goals in the gym and outside of it. It has that type of atmosphere. When ever I am on a challenging set, no matter what I do, in my head I hear the song "Don't Stop Believin" playing over and over. "Some Will win. Some will lose." Whenever I sing that to myself in my head it pushes my not to lose and give up, but to push on and succeed. Because if you don't believe you can do it then why even try?  

Making the Cut

As I walked out onto the pitch on the first day of tryouts I told myself "this is the year to prove myself to everyone one what I can do." We went through our usual warm ups and I felt great. Like I was on top of the world. The first thing we did was a shuttle run. This 300 meter shuttle smokes everyone and this year was no different. I fought through it though and stayed near the front of the group. By the end of the 6 excruciating rounds I continued to fight and was grateful when we were done with that. After several similar exercises we were done for the day. The next two days passed in a similar fashion but at night instead of fitness testing we had skill and short side game work. At the end the coaches called us down one by one to tell us our fate. Were we to go home over joyed or disappointed. By the time my name was called my heart was in my mouth. I couldn't think straight until the coaches congratulated me on making Varsity. But i knew that this one success wasn't enough. I would have to prove myself to them in order to not just be on the team to to start in games and be able to play the whole time. So in order to stay in shape and not only rely on practices I do some of the work outs I do at Crossfit. When I told one of my friends he argued that practice is enough of a work out itself. But I know for a fact that it isn't. Soccer works on fitness and coordination but not much else. My point was that Crossfit worked on everything and it would keep me in better all around shape not specialized in one area.

Reaching the Bar

I finally did it! I got the form down to do a complete bar pull up. But it still remains very difficult for me. I must continue to work to improve my form and and strength in order for them to be easier and my ultimate goal of making them effortless. So to do that I am going to improve my eating habits and the amount of effort I put in at the gym. Only then will I be able to master bar pull ups as well as the harder ring pull up. Crossfit once again forced me to push my self to achieve success. Now I must continue to work in order to master the skills I learn in order to become a better athlete as a whole.