From The Never Ending Story:
Atreyu and Artax had searched the Silver Mountains, the Desert of Shattered Hopes, and the Crystal Towers without success. And so, there was only one chance left. To find Morla, the ancient one, the wisest being in Fantasia whos home was the Shell Mountain somewhere in the deadly Swamps of Sadness. Everyone knew that whoever let the sadness overtake him would sink into the swamp.
The day of tryouts I was sick. Not with the flu, worse. I was physically ill at the idea of the tryout. I would be on display; fully vulnerable to the judging eyes of my peers. I pulled into the parking lot of the rink and tried to rinse out the taste of vomit from my mouth with some water. I can do this, I thought. This is like any other practice, I thought. I took another gulp. I should go back home and crawl under the covers and forget about tryouts for another few months, I thought.
I went inside, still intent on going home but locked in the death grip of this thought: ‘If I go home now, I go home a coward.’ I had to go inside and face my fears. I had to put my shaking legs and turning stomach aside and focus. So, I put on my skates and warmed up.
The best advice I ever got was, “Never give up. The moment just after you give up could have made all the difference.”
I didn’t make the team that day, but I never gave up. In derby, and life, you will take a beating, metaphorically and otherwise. But don’t get loaded down with despair. You’ll need all the strength you can for the after party.
Atreyu and Artax had searched the Silver Mountains, the Desert of Shattered Hopes, and the Crystal Towers without success. And so, there was only one chance left. To find Morla, the ancient one, the wisest being in Fantasia whos home was the Shell Mountain somewhere in the deadly Swamps of Sadness. Everyone knew that whoever let the sadness overtake him would sink into the swamp.
The day of tryouts I was sick. Not with the flu, worse. I was physically ill at the idea of the tryout. I would be on display; fully vulnerable to the judging eyes of my peers. I pulled into the parking lot of the rink and tried to rinse out the taste of vomit from my mouth with some water. I can do this, I thought. This is like any other practice, I thought. I took another gulp. I should go back home and crawl under the covers and forget about tryouts for another few months, I thought.
I went inside, still intent on going home but locked in the death grip of this thought: ‘If I go home now, I go home a coward.’ I had to go inside and face my fears. I had to put my shaking legs and turning stomach aside and focus. So, I put on my skates and warmed up.
The best advice I ever got was, “Never give up. The moment just after you give up could have made all the difference.”
I didn’t make the team that day, but I never gave up. In derby, and life, you will take a beating, metaphorically and otherwise. But don’t get loaded down with despair. You’ll need all the strength you can for the after party.
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