Push Through No Matter What

Life is only what you make it

One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.

Albert Schweitzer

Boys, good game and way to work I know it didn’t work, we gotta get that out there, if we don’t win next game then we’re probably out. Eat up your carbs and be ready to play tomorrow. It was second intermission, we were in Canada for a hockey tournament. I had just chugged a chocolate milk, and it wasn’t sitting well. My teammate, Pete threw up on a random person last night. It was time to go out, I was the last one out of the locker room, my coach asked me, “Will, you feeling alright?” “Yeah I’m fine,” I quickly responded. He knew something was up. Right after the game I threw up, all over the locker room, we lost, we were probably out. Kids on my team were heated. Our coach came in, “that’s a tough one to lose, we were better than that team, it would take a miracle, and we would have to overcome some true adversity to win this thing,” after that I threw up again in the parking lot all over the place, that is my adversity.

Windsor Mountain Bonding

How my friends became brothers

When your friends pick you up, it’s a step to brotherhood.

~ Will Hatten

   I was hanging onto the rope swing with all my might. I was hoping that I wouldn’t let go too early or too late. I was scared. In Windsor Mountain, during my 8th garage class trip, I had a lot of defining experiences. I learned to do many new things. For example I learned to push my classmates to try new things as they pushed me to try new thing too. I also learned to treat my classmates like brothers.

An Experience With a Friend

Friends may be different, but they’ll stick through anything

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
– Walter Winchell

  With friends, come memories. I may only see my friend once a year, but it’s the best part of it. Our friendship is made up of fun, but one thing we love in common, fishing.  

 6 a.m. wake up, little did it seem like vacation, but it very much was. It was something we’ve been asking to do since we were six, deep sea fishing. Still dark out, I asked Wesley as our dad’s overheard in the car, “what do you think were gonna catch?” Wesley (who knows a ton more about fishing than me) said, “hopefully a 56 inch bluefin.” His dad yelled back, “you crazy”. That was the start of our fishing trip.

Power of Friendship

Friendship can be hard

“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
– Walter Winchell

Friendship can be tough. For me, the toughness was worth it. I thought Wesley leaving was hard but waiting to see him was harder. Me and my family were waiting. Waiting in Florida for them to pick us up. Waiting for the first happiness in years. Waiting to see Wesley for the first time in years.

Solitary Walk

Take it in

“Cherish the natural world because you’re part of it and you depend on it.”
– Sir David Attenborough

The blazing sun felt like it was wearing through all my clothes, and I couldn’t wait to get back home for a cold bottle of water. My dog was almost pulling me down my street, somehow he had more energy than me. My face was burning and I was wishing that this was the end of my solitary walk.

Almost everyday of quarantine I walk my dog. He is big for his breed, he is a thirty pounds. It was a hot day, it was about 75 degrees, but it felt like 100 considering we didn’t have a hot day in what seems like a decade. For some weird reason my dog had way to much energy to be inside so I decided to take him for a walk, but this was not a good idea.

Vinalhaven Challenges  

Vinalhaven is paving a road for my saving

No dream is too big. No challenge is too great. Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach.

Donald Trump

   Fish on, Fish on! We finally hooked it, the dogfish, a shark, I had the rod, praying that I didn’t lose it. There was so much pressure. 7 A.M. very little close to the dream vacation, Jack, Henry, Fred, my dad and I on a boat with a max weight limit of 360 on the coast of Narrows Island, VH, ME. It was heaven for all five of us, it was hell for something though, the dogfish that we’d hooked. Vinalhaven usually puts me through a struggle, camping in the wilderness knowing that I’m alone and if I get hurt their is an hour fairy ride to a hospital, knowing that their is a shortage of water, knowing how I don’t just have to care about myself, but my dad, sister, and friends too. This always leads to growing challenges, but in 2018 this challenge was definitely worth it.

Commenting

Reading is listening

“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.”
― Zeno of Citium, as quoted by Diogenes Laërtius

  Commenting this week was very, very easy considering half of our class didn’t even post their narrative story, but this made me think and write double for each and every one that had it posted I did this because they took the time to share their stuff so I figured I might as well give them my time by commenting. One thing I was surprised about was ho little comments there were on everyone’s post, considering it’s due tomorrow and Fitz was the only one to comment is probably going to be a problem, but I had a good experience reading about how others are dealing with this and I’m going to try some of these things. 

Don’t Ignore, Do

Listen

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
― Ernest Hemingway

When someone asks you to do something, you should probably do it. I don’t have to do a lot, but When my dad asked me to do something I don’t want to do I usually give him a hard time.

Monday morning, down pour, I wake up to the sound of the garbage truck screeching to a stop, uh oh I forgot to wheel the full trash barrel to the bottom of our driveway, I hear my dad coming upstairs.

The Power of Respect

Respect is Noticeable When Someone is Down

“Respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

If you give respect, you get respect. I try my hardest to give respect. Respect is a small step down a big road. I’m  went out to dinner with my friend Jack because I hadn’t seen him in a long time. His brother was teasing us “first date?” He asked. “Shut up Henry” Jack yelled back. The waitress came over to our table and told us to quiet down. We apologized, and Henry yelled “good luck cuties.” Of course Jack yelled back “shut up” back. Under the waitresses breath she said “little crap.” But loud enough for us to hear. After we ate the waitress came back, with our check. The check read 42.64, after Jack and I talked over how much we should give her as a tip, we gave her 40% and for all of the people that have signed a check that is a ton of tip money.

The Power of I

I am only what I make myself, I am the boy my parents raised, I am the boy who I want to be. I know that we will get through this, I know how much everyone struggles, I know that we want to see each other. I try to keep a positive mindset, I try to help out as much as I can around the house, I try to not cause stress. I want a world where this pandemic ends, I want a world that is relaxing in all shapes and forms, I want a world that doesn’t judge people by mistakes. I hate to be awoken by people that don’t respect me. I hate to be beaten by the people that are better than me. I hate how I can’t even stick up for myself. I hate the way some people live. I don’t know where I’m gonna be in ten year, but I know it will be in a good place. I don’t know what my job will be, but I know I will be helping people.