"Cross Country ruined my life"
Cross country ruined my life. Why on earth then, have I done it for 7 years? (Well, there was no team at my school in 5th grade, I couldn't make 8 years happen, but that's not what I meant.) Why did I put myself through all those years of cross country if I don't like it?
Well, the answer here is that I love cross-country. It still ruined my life, though. I realize this doesn't make much sense. I mean, if it ruined my life, then how can I possibly love it?
Well, cross country has given me discipline. Now you might be thinking, "Discipline is good though!" and that thought is a correct one. But you see, it also gave me determination. You might think that is a good thing too, which is not wrong. Let me try to explain better.
Cross country helped me to grow to love my body and to keep it healthy. It taught me how to be a leader. It taught me how to be a follower. It taught me how to be a supportive person and teammate. It gave me something to care about when the rest of my world was falling apart. It's given me a chance to feel like I'm free of my mind that's always trying to work against me. It has given me hope. It has given me strength, both physically and mentally. It has been a way of keeping me barely sane at times when I really don't think sanity is feasible. Cross country has given me wonderful memories, frustrating memories, joyful memories, and sad memories. It's helped me find myself as a person, and to shape me into a better version of that person. It's given me a special something for my dad and I to connect on and talk about. It's given me guidance in the form of coaches and teammates. It has given me friends.Most important of all, cross country has given me an extra family, a safe and welcoming place.
Cross country has ruined my life because it has given me all of this ONLY FOR IT TO BE SNATCHED AWAY FROM ME after this season. It's ruined my life because it's been my my crutch, and now I'm supposed to try to make it through without anything to lean on. It has left me on my own before I am ready for it, and that is not fair.
I guess it's also not fair for me to say cross country has ruined my life. That's such a negative outlook, and an exaggeration. I just can't see past that right now. It's senior day tomorrow and I'm supposed to say goodbye to my family. Sure, there is the post-season, and I'll see everyone at school, but it's just not the same.
- @ErroneouslyGrey ( kathryn gray )
