beyond the green

After the meal we all ventured back outside. While in conversation with her father I was summoned by her cousins and uncles to join in a football game. Clad in a business-casual longsleeved polo, my favorite jeans, and the nicest pair of sneakers I owned, I was hoping that this game would be nothing more than “tossing the ol’ pigskin around” or at worst a game of two-hand touch.

It wasn’t.

A full-scale tackle football game ensued. One that put me on a team with some pretty sizable men, but against my girlfriend, her father, and two brothers. If they didn’t like me, they weren’t going to get a better opportunity than this to prove it.

I volunteered to be quarterback, after no one else on the team seemed to be incredibly enthused about the prospect of doing it themselves.

My rationale was: I won’t get hit as much, thus not ruining my clothes. Wrong. My other rationale was: It’s an opportunity to showcase my athletic prowess in front of the future inlaws. Didn’t matter.

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For the second time in the last three years, I was unable to share the Thanksgiving holiday with my family back home in Dallas. That is because of my commitment to playing on the basketball team. A personal choice, no doubt, and one I would never take back. However, with the season lasting 6 months long, missing holidays, having shortened breaks, and not seeing family for extended amounts of time becomes the norm, however crummy.

This year we were allowed two days off from practice. Thanksgiving and the day before. We were to report back on Friday for practice before our game on Saturday. Considering the drive time to get home and back, it was most convenient to stay near campus for the holiday.

I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the myriad of invites from close (and even not-so-close) friends and acquaintances that were extended for me to join them at their Thanksgiving celebrations. It was truly heart-warming to have such generosity be offered. I had, however, back in September, made plans to attend my girlfriend’s family reunion/Thanksgiving.

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Tis the season to be thankful, and I am so thankful for so many things, my family, my friends, my health, my shelter, everything I have is such a blessing. This year has been so great. I have lots of friends who I love and care for, I have an amazing boyfriend who has made this year awesome, a family who is always there for me when I need them, and everything I could possibly need. I feel so blessed.

This time of season is also the season for giving. Not just to others who you care for but also to those who are in need. Not quite sure what we will be doing, but I can’t wait to get involved in some kind of service. I know my family is doing a homeless shelter meal and I know as RA we will be doing something but I am not sure when we ill be doing it. Whatever it is it fills my heart to know I’m helping those in need.

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So its a little delayed, but about two weeks ago the basketball team had their first game. We went to play Central Christian in McPherson. The weather wasn’t the greatest, but it didn’t seem worrisome. After the game it was snowing, hard. It was sticking like alot. It was so bad if it would have stayed we would have been seeing a lot more of winter. It was crazy. Well we stopped at a girls house who is on the team for dinner. They live out in the country and we had to park in their gravel/dirt drive way. I am sure you can see where this is possibly going.

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It’s 10:20pm and I’m headed to the football field.  What was I thinking? I asked myself as I shivered in my shorts and hoodie.  It’s too cold for this.  I reached the football field to see my team standing in a huddle as the other team warmed up on the field kicking around a soccer ball.  Great, I thought.  It’s the guys I was hoping not to face on the soccer field.

soccer game with an eclectic group of freshmen, transfers, and all other classes.  When we started playing I didn’t ever know most of the others on my team.  That particular night we stood around in our circle discussing whether or not we should forfeit.  As we waited for our other teammates to show up, we knew we would be up for a fight.  We finally decided to start the game even though we were a person down with no subs facing a super competitive team.  I’m so glad we decided to play!

Our team worked harder than ever, and (I at least) had more fun than ever!  I don’t remember the final score anymore.  It was somewhere around 7 to 3.  We lost of course, but we played very well.

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