The Pleasure and Pain

While reading Frederick Douglass's experience on how he learned to read and write and how he came to terms that he is a slave. Everyone I know has either had a pleasurable, painful, or both of them in more then one experience they have had. For me my most pleasurable and painful experience I learned was when I started playing softball.


I love playing sports but the sport I love playing most of all is softball. I have played softball for three years. The first time I became part of a team is when my family and I moved in with my Uncle and Aunt in Temple City. While there, my Uncle thought it would be a good idea to sign my sister, brother, and I up for softball and baseball. When he told me that he signed us up for the Temple City League, I could not believe him. I was in shock. I didn't think that I was good enough to play on a league. I only played softball with my friends for fun, I was scared of what the coaches and team members were going to think about me. Here I am going to be on a team with a bunch of girls who have been playing since they were about six years old, and then they are going to have me, a girl who has never been on a team and who plays for fun.


The first time I meet my team and coaches I wanted to run from them because I kept thinking about what they would think. But I think my fears got the best of me because my first practice was not that bad. In fact it was great. The team and my coaches could not believe that it was my first time playing. They told me I had a good arm and batting stance. Hearing this I could not wait for my first game.


During my first game I was pleased with myself because I was the one who helped my team win. We were down by one and when the batter hit a pop fly I was the one who caught it and won the game. After our first game we kept winning. We won seven of our games, but the winning streak we had soon turned into a painful and horrible streak.


It was our eighth game and we thought we were going to win like always, but that thought turned into only a thought. We lost four to twenty, which basically means we were mercy out. Then for our ninth game I was the one to blame for losing. I didn't catch a pop fly and instead of throwing it, I threw a lollipop, which means I threw the ball straight into the air causing the other team to score three runs. After that game my teammates and I were in so much pain because we were punished for making small mistakes.


During practices my team and I were punished for every little mistake we did. If we missed a ball or over threw a ball, we had to run. I felt like I was on a track team instead of a softball team. But the worst pain I ever felt was when I sprained my ankle during one of our practices. I felt like I let my team down and myself. But by spraining my ankle and sitting on the bench it helped me understand that going through life without making mistakes is kind of, well, boring.


My pleasure and pain I got while playing softball has helped me see that it is o.k. to make mistakes because those are the ones we learn our lessons from. However, while making and learning from my mistakes I know that I gave it my all while trying to do my best, and that is all that really counts. So by spraining my ankle I didn't let my team or I down, but instead gave it my all at practice in order to win games. However, instead of winning, I got a sprain.

Today I Feel...

Today I feel overwhelmed. I have so many things to do. I thought by starting a new semester I would at least be prepared for what was going to be happening, but I was wrong. It seems that time is moving along without me because with a new semester I can’t seem to get things done, and if I do get them done, I have more to do. During the first semester it was ok for me to be confused because I have never been to college, but now that I have been in college for five months you would think I would know what to expect.


When first semester ended I was so excited because I was half way through my freshman year. It was a year almost gone, which got me one step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a veterinarian . I took all my finals and was pretty sure that I did well on them. I had no worries. I took care of my financial business and registered on time for my classes. Now I was about to have a break and be able to relax for once since all I did was study and work during school. During my break I relaxed like I said I would and didn’t worry about coming to school because I already knew what to expect, but yet again I was wrong. It seemed the first day showed me how wrong I was and how I never expected to feel overwhelmed.


As I walked on campus again I was happy to be back because to my surprise I missed it. I missed going to work, having classes, and being in my dorm. But that missed feeling soon turned into an overwhelming feeling when I started getting a lot of homework, having to study for tests every night, and also having to work. It was barley the third day of school and I already had homework for three of my classes, including a test to study for. On top of that I also work everyday until six in the evening.


Sometimes I feel like crying because I feel so overwhelmed with things to do. But instead I take a deep breath and relax for a little. I go either on my space or lay down on my bed for about fifteen minutes. Then I go back to what I was doing. I remind myself that I can do it because, hey I survived last semester.

Over Winter Break

Whenever some people hear the word holidays they get all disappointed because they think of traffic and work, the crowds and long lines in the shopping centers, and they also think of how much money they are going to be spending on presents. Just like these people I would get disappointed around the holidays thinking of these problems. But this year instead of getting disappointed I was excited about having a long break and getting to see my family.


While packing in my room I began to think how long it had been since I had a break to myself. Since starting school in August I haven’t really had a break, and so knowing that winter break had come I was so excited. I know that sounds kind of weird but college takes a lot out of you. Don’t get me wrong, I love the college life but with all the work we do I believe we deserve a break. For example during my winter break I got to sleep in with out worrying about getting to class on time. I didn’t have to worry about writing any essays, reading chapters in a book or having an exam. But the over all best was that I didn’t have to go to work. I was able to rest for the first time since starting school. Also another reason why I was so excited for winter break was that I was going to be able to see my family. I was going to have a whole month to spend with them. But the main person I was happy I was going to get to see was my dad.


It has been almost a year since I have seen my dad because he has been away at rehab, so my sister, brother, and I were waiting for my mom to come back with him so we could open our presents together. When they finally came we all sat around and started opening our presents. After we finished we thanked each other and got ready to go to my Nina’s (Godmother's) house for food and to open more presents. Arriving at my Nina’s we all sat down and ate. When everyone was done eating my brother, sister, myself, boyfriend, cousins, and dad all went to go play football and then we played the new video games my little cousins got. Then we all gathered on my Nina’s front lawn and started opening presents.


We left my Nina’s house around six in the evening and went to my Aunt’s house and pretty much did the same thing we did at my Nina’s. After leaving my Aunt’s house we got back to my house around nine. While at my house my family and got to spend time with alone with our dad. He began telling stories about when my sister, brother, and I were younger. Then he told stories about him and my mom when they were younger. He had all of us laughing, which was what I missed most about my dad. Whenever he can come see us he makes us laugh. Whether we are in a bad mood or if we are sad he just says something that you can’t help but laugh. When all of us were done laughing we said good-bye to our dad because we had to be back at his home at twelve and it was eleven.


Even though it was sad that my dad had to go, my winter break this year was fun. I know some people get disappointed around the holidays because of traffic and having to work. But I didn’t let that bother me this year because I had too much to look forward to. I got to relax and I also got to see my family and spend time with my dad, which is important since I am at school and they are far away. So whenever I hear and know the holidays are here I am just going to smile and be excited because I have another reason to relax, see my family, and spend time with my dad. After all those are what the holidays and winter break are for.