Where does the breeze blow?

So my summer is taking an unexpected turn. I had planned on staying in Tallahassee all summer. I was trying to start a soccer camp for kids called Killearn Kicks, but it fell through. Today I found that I will be leaving rather abruptly...tomorrow actually. While I am really excited about going up to Chattanooga and working with my cousin John all summer, I have not really had a chance to process everything.

Until today I thought that I would have some more time to spend with my family and friends. All the really sweet memories that I'd planned on making suddenly vanished! No more soccer in the backyard with Natedog, Hope, Joy and Josh. No more afternoon runs with my dad around the Maclay Gardens trails. No more hugs from my mom and grandma (arguably the best huggers in North America, if not the world). No movies or lunch with Grace. No more chillaxin' at Kenley's crib. No more tricks off the Wakulla Springs high dive with everyone. No more riding motorcycles with Bryan. Just like that, my summer plans changed completely.

And although I will terribly miss being home with everyone, it is not all sad. Bittersweet would be the word. I bitterly regret seeing all those would-be memories disappear. Yet I eagerly look forward to a really sweet time in Chatty with John. We are gonna have a really solid summer. I can't wait to be up in Chattanooga, it is going to be awesome. It is kinda funny how things work out. My plans can change just like to breeze, and like the breeze I really have no control of my circumstances. The only thing that I can do is enjoy where I am and make the most of it. I guess that is one thing I'll take away from this whole thing. Maybe next time I'll just enjoy the breeze as it brushes my checks and ruffles my hair instead of worrying myself as I try to determine where it will blow.

As I was just going through some boxes that I had not yet unpacked since getting home I found my notebook from last year. It brought back some great memories also bittersweet. This past year has been one with both the indescribable joys that make your insides ache from sheer excitement and the anguish that leave you hopeless with no words to explain or express the pain. And sometime during the last year I found a quote which grasped me so powerfully that I wrote it down. It is from canto II of Dante's Divine Comedy:

As flowerlets drooped and puckered on the night
turn up to the returning sun and spread
their petals wide on his new warmth and light --
just so my wilted spirits rose again
and such a heat of zeal surged through my veins
that I was born anew.

Memories from the Match: Arsenal v Barcelona

Thanks to my awesome cousins Elise and Shalom Cohen, I was able to watch the most important match in professional soccer, the UEFA Champions Leauge Final. I was especially excited this year because my childhood favorites, the Arsenal Gunners would be taking on Ronaldinho and Co. of Barcelona. The match was incredible as both teams rose to the occasion and put on a dazzling show of skill. The first half was truly crazy as Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann was ejected for an apparent foul on Eto'o. Yet amazingly the Gunners pulled ahead off of a free kick goal from Sol Campbell. In the end, fate frowned upon my Gunners as Barcelona came back from behind to win with two late goals. Although things didn't turn out as I'd hoped, the match did leave me with many indelible memories.


In the heat of the match there was an image that epitomized the game for me. This brief moment occured as Ronaldinho was attempting to weave his way through Arsenal's defence. After evading two tackles he was abruptly stopped by none other than Thierry Henry. The imposing Frenchman stood on the ball and looked down at Ronaldinho whose sliding effort had landed him on his knees staring upwards. The split second exchange between these incredible athletes conveyed an enourmous amount of mutual respect and admiration. Sadly, after searching through thousands of photos from the game I could not find a single image of this moment.

Summer Plans

It is 2:16 AM right now and I just put the following ideas down on paper...or on Microsoft Word to be exact. I do not know whether or not these thoughts appear lucid, but whatever the case here there are:

Since I’ll be living somewhat independently (in the Student Apartments) next semester it would be beneficial to prepare myself this summer. There are several things I need to learn. First, I need to learn how to maintain a normal lifestyle. This would include areas such as cooking, cleaning and upkeep. To be more specific, I need to teach myself to shop for food and other essentials, to keep my stuff in good condition, and to be prepared to maintain and repair my stuff. Another way I need to learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle is in the area of my daily routine. In order to become a functional adult I need be disciplined enough to follow a schedule, to establish good habits, and seek to improve myself. More specifically, I would like to wake up early, spend time with God, eat breakfast, do any chores and prepare for the days activities, eat lunch, accomplish the day’s tasks, eat dinner, spend time with the family, spend time reflecting on the day, and go to be early. While the details of the schedule will obviously change, I would like to maintain this same basic structure. Besides getting in the habit of following my schedule, I would like to establish some other habits this summer. I would like to start the habit of spending time in the Word each morning. I would like to spend time exercising during the day. I would like to spend some time each day building a relationship. Besides accomplishing these goals, I also have some more tangible goals for this summer. I need to work and raise at least five thousand dollars. I need to continue to create art (sculpt two full-size busts, draw and muse in my notebook weekly). I need to prepare for next soccer season (follow the strength and fitness programs, play soccer regularly). I would like to use the shed as a project: clean and fix it, then turn it into an art studio/personal space. Besides these tangible goals, I would also like to gain a clearer understanding of what my goals are for the next year, five years, and ten years. Then I would like to find a way to accomplish these goals. Hopefully by developing a deeper understanding of my purposes I will gain a clearer vision for my life. While all this may seem too obvious, these are things that I have yet to do. I would like to become more mature this summer rather than continue to digress. I realize that my plan is likely be changed, refined, or either altogether scrapped. And yet I have decided to approach it with firm resolve and determination.