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I believe you can find something you are truly passionate about where you least expect it. The warm spring weather was rolling in, and my freshman year of high school was nearly coming to an end. Spring sports registration was coming up, and with it came a decision. Having played baseball my entire life, it only seemed right to continue playing, even though I was terrible at it. Baseball was just never my thing. I loved to watch it, but I couldn’t really play it.
When the day finally came to sign up, I chose a different route. I decided to run track. Realizing I had no future in baseball, it was time to mix things up a bit. Having no prior running experience, I was unsure of what my future had in store for me. At first, running was extremely difficult. My legs were always sore, and I constantly felt burnt out. Every day I looked out at my friends on the baseball field in envy. There I was pushing myself to my physical limits, while they were just standing around playing catch. I was confident I had made the wrong decision.
As the weeks passed by and the miles racked up, I gradually improved. The soreness was slowly disappearing, and it began to feel almost effortless. Soon, I was able to compete with the best kids on the team, and I looked forward to going outside and running everyday. By my junior year, I had given up all other sports for track and cross-country. I found a sense of discipline in running that I simply couldn’t find anywhere else. I realized the only way to improve was to go out everyday and put one foot in front of the other, mile after mile. There were no shortcuts or cutting corners, just hard work, determination, and patience.
Although I am no longer a competitive runner, I still look forward to any chance I get to lace up my shoes and go out for a few miles. Running has become a way for me to escape from all the craziness of my day-to-day life. At some point you just need a break from all of the reading, note taking and studying that comes with everyday college life. Whenever I get stressed over studying or a tough assignment, I turn to running. Although cars, bikes, and pedestrians surround me, I still feel far away from it all. I am able to clear my head from all confusions and put any troubles aside. I no longer run for times or speed, I run for the experience.
Looking back on that day, I realize that such a seemingly careless decision has changed my life completely. Without running I am not sure where I would be today. Day to day life just wouldn’t seem complete without being able to get out and run every so often. I feel that we all can find a way to press pause and escape the pressures of life. As for me, I found running.
By John Calhoun