This is a great topic to discuss in a blog. I am a firm believer that everyone has many talents. Even if you aren't good at something, as long as you enjoy doing it, I think it is a talent! So, with that in mind, I will list some of my talents through out my life.
First of all, I have always enjoyed trying new things. I'm always up for an adventure and doing something new gives me just that. Sports has always been my favorite past time, and I've enjoyed trying new sports. Basketball, football, and soccer are typical sports that I've enjoyed in my life, but I've also been blessed with opportunities to try others.
I remember one spring break in NC as a sophomore in high school. My friend and I were bored, so we decided to go play golf. We went to a cheap golf course in town that only had 9 holes and was built on a cow pasture. It only cost $11 to play for the entire day, which is exactly what we did. I think we played more than 40 holes that first day and I was shooting well over 100 on 9 holes. From that day, I have loved the game of golf and I find it one of the most relaxing things to do.
Another time, as a junior in high school, a couple us were bored and decided to try playing tennis. If I remember correctly, I was with Bill Seagraves and RJ Carter. Bill knew a little about the game, but RJ and I were clueless. What turned out to be a simple activity to kill time proved to be a life-long love of the game of tennis. We played on hard-courts, clay-courts, and "crappy"-courts. We played early in the morning and late at night under the lights. I don't get to play tennis much anymore, but I will always love the game and I hope to play more later in life.
Racquetball is another favorite sport that I picked up in an odd way. I needed some PE credit at BYU and during my first semester, I decided to sign up for racquetball. I had never played before, but I wanted to give it a try. Again, I instantly fell in love with the sport and I was even able to beat my teacher by the end of the semester. I played often while in college, but I've only played a handful of times since then.
Although it may not be considered a sport by some, I'll never forget the night that Amy Ellis (now Amy Stone) and I were hanging out at a friend's house. We pulled out the ping-pong table and just hit the ball back and forth while we talked. I think we played for well over an hour, but we never kept score, we just hit the ball back and forth. This was after high-school graduation and it was the first time that I really spent time talking with Amy. I consider her a very dear friend of mine since that day! Plus, I now love the game of ping-pong and I play it whenever I get the chance.
Although I have always enjoyed athletic sports, I have not always enjoyed running. I used to hate running the mile in school and I was never good at running. I respected those that could to it well, but I hated it. That all changed when I started "body-for-life" at age 30. I decided to eat better and exercise. While on vacation in Utah, I decided to try to run for as long as I could. I ran very slowly, but I just wanted to get a consistent pace going and stick to it. I ran for 45 min without stopping and I was shocked that I could do it. I probably only ran 2.5 miles (I wasn't running fast at all), but I did it. This was the start of a love for running. I still run almost everyday and I hope that I can be healthy enough to do it for the rest of my life. Refer to my first comment on this post --> I am NOT a fast runner or a good runner! I have asthma and allergies that may contribute to that. But, I enjoy doing it and I enjoy the feeling I get after running. I therefore call this a "talent".
Basketball has definitely been the love of my life (for sports that it) and this entry would not be complete without discussing it. I started playing basketball at 12 years old and I have never stopped playing since. In the beginning, I was not very good. I would not play defense and I could barely make a layup. I was a pretty clumsy kid and often tripped over my own feet. I was never really coached as a basketball player and I never played on an organized team until college, although I did play on church teams in high-school. I tried to make the high-school team as a junior, but I could not handle the wind-sprints. Asthma was definitely a contributor to my huge dislike for wind-sprints at the time. I actually dropped of the team after a week of practice, even though the coaches wanted me to stay. I have always regretted that decision and I have always wondered how my life would be different if I would have tried to stay on the team and get through the pain of the wind-sprints. But, at the same time, I remember that one of the reasons for quitting was that practice prevented me from going to YM/YW (mutual) on Wednesday nights. I also wonder how my life would be different if I didn't have these great experiences with other LDS youth of my age. I feel comforted that I made the right choice back then as my life is very "rich" now. I have so many blessings that I would never trade for a couple of years of high-school basketball!! In college, I played for Blue-Ridge Community College, but the team was more of a red-neck team than a true organized sports team. But, I did have some great experiences playing on a team as the only white guy! Basketball has proven to be a great way to get to know people throughout my life. I love the game and I love playing it recreation-ally. Like other sports, I hope to keep playing it the rest of my life!
In addition to sports, I have several other talents that I am trying to further develop. Musically, I was the drum-line captain for our high-school marching band. I've always enjoyed music and rhythm and playing the drums fit just perfect for me. In retrospect, I often wonder if my life would be different if I would have played football instead of being in the band. The football team tried to recruit me, but I enjoyed drumming more than football at the time. This is one talent that I don't really have anymore. I enjoy drumming with my hands, but I have definitely lost my skills in this area!
Finally, I've always enjoyed "people". I love working with people, teaching people, leading people and loving people. This is definitely an area that I am constantly developing as I learn and grow.
Okay, time to post and move on. I've rambled on for too long!
No comments:
Post a Comment