The voice saved me. It pushed me to play sports. Sports released my anger to a positive end. Excelling at sports helped me show myself and others that this fat kid was one hell of an athlete. How many fat kids are that good at sports? Becoming a bully and beating up kids was beneath me. I made my point with dignity by defeating the punks who made fun of me with my physical abilities and prowess.
I loved baseball and played it all the time. I made up hitting games that I would play in the backyard of my dad's house in Crestwood. I played roller hockey in my basement, outside anywhere. Hockey was my true passion but Dad told me we could not afford to play. The reality is Dad did not understand hockey. He was a football guy. To be good at hockey you had to have a 6th sense. Basketball is the only other game that comes close to hockey in the 6th sense aspect. It is the sense of knowing your teamate is there and he is going to be there even when you cant see them---I call that grace too. It is a special chemistry/connection with another person. You cant have it with everyone. In basketball, I was the center. I would grab rebounds turn and throw the ball up court without looking to one of my teamates who would be there to catch the ball. You cant teach that. Oates to Hull, Orr to Esposito, Gretzky to Kurri, Bird to McHale, Magic to Jabbar, Cheeks to Dr. J., Bradshaw to Swann etc.
In sixth grade I started playing basketball. My buddies wanted me to play. We had two teams. One team was made up of the gifted players and the other team the not so gifted players. I was not very good at B-Ball but I was big, the biggest kid in my class. I already had a good reputation as a strong baseball player and soccer player. And since I wasnt that good at B-Ball I felt like I belonged on the second division team. I recall playing St. Clements on a Saturday and I heard the St. Clements kids making fun of me. I was determined to give them a Bill sandwich and prove them wrong. We got clobbered but those boys never called me fat again. And in 7th grade I moved up to the A team. And everytime we played St. Clements I played my hardest.
In eighth grade on Saturday Jan. 13th I sprained my ankle playing against, you guessed it, St. Clements. I was on the way to having my best game. I worked very hard the summer and fall before the season started and I was coming into my own. We had some really great players on our team and I was finally becoming a player. But that severe ankle sprain ruined the season. But it also changed my life. I was fitted with a cast. And for a week, I stayed home, in bed until the swelling and pain subsided. Then back to school. But on the Friday of the week back at school I did not feel right. I ended up catching the chicken pox at age 15. And I was bed ridden for another 10 days. I eat very little and I went from 210 lbs to 175 lbs in that three week period.
It was as if God sprained my ankle and forced me to be quiet and listen to him. All I could do in the bed was think, eat, when I could or when someone brought me food (either my Grandmother or my Mom) and sleep.
I really started to look at my life. At first I felt sorry for myself. My basketball season and career was pretty much over. But then something came over me. I saw how my Mom and Grandmother rallied around me. Friends would come with homework and visit me. A bell went off in my selfish little head. I realized that I had to change my life because so many people cared and loved me. No one else was going to do it for me. I had a responsibliity to be and do the best I could. And so the weight came off and I stopped doing stupid things. I took responsiblity for myself. You can't take care of anyone until you take care of yourself first. They say that everytime you get on an airplane. "Put the mask on yourself and then help the person or child next to you put on the mask."
I think those three weeks started me on the journey to becoming a man. (The pictures are 5th Grade, 7th Grade and 8th Grade)
I loved baseball and played it all the time. I made up hitting games that I would play in the backyard of my dad's house in Crestwood. I played roller hockey in my basement, outside anywhere. Hockey was my true passion but Dad told me we could not afford to play. The reality is Dad did not understand hockey. He was a football guy. To be good at hockey you had to have a 6th sense. Basketball is the only other game that comes close to hockey in the 6th sense aspect. It is the sense of knowing your teamate is there and he is going to be there even when you cant see them---I call that grace too. It is a special chemistry/connection with another person. You cant have it with everyone. In basketball, I was the center. I would grab rebounds turn and throw the ball up court without looking to one of my teamates who would be there to catch the ball. You cant teach that. Oates to Hull, Orr to Esposito, Gretzky to Kurri, Bird to McHale, Magic to Jabbar, Cheeks to Dr. J., Bradshaw to Swann etc.
In sixth grade I started playing basketball. My buddies wanted me to play. We had two teams. One team was made up of the gifted players and the other team the not so gifted players. I was not very good at B-Ball but I was big, the biggest kid in my class. I already had a good reputation as a strong baseball player and soccer player. And since I wasnt that good at B-Ball I felt like I belonged on the second division team. I recall playing St. Clements on a Saturday and I heard the St. Clements kids making fun of me. I was determined to give them a Bill sandwich and prove them wrong. We got clobbered but those boys never called me fat again. And in 7th grade I moved up to the A team. And everytime we played St. Clements I played my hardest.
In eighth grade on Saturday Jan. 13th I sprained my ankle playing against, you guessed it, St. Clements. I was on the way to having my best game. I worked very hard the summer and fall before the season started and I was coming into my own. We had some really great players on our team and I was finally becoming a player. But that severe ankle sprain ruined the season. But it also changed my life. I was fitted with a cast. And for a week, I stayed home, in bed until the swelling and pain subsided. Then back to school. But on the Friday of the week back at school I did not feel right. I ended up catching the chicken pox at age 15. And I was bed ridden for another 10 days. I eat very little and I went from 210 lbs to 175 lbs in that three week period.
It was as if God sprained my ankle and forced me to be quiet and listen to him. All I could do in the bed was think, eat, when I could or when someone brought me food (either my Grandmother or my Mom) and sleep.
I really started to look at my life. At first I felt sorry for myself. My basketball season and career was pretty much over. But then something came over me. I saw how my Mom and Grandmother rallied around me. Friends would come with homework and visit me. A bell went off in my selfish little head. I realized that I had to change my life because so many people cared and loved me. No one else was going to do it for me. I had a responsibliity to be and do the best I could. And so the weight came off and I stopped doing stupid things. I took responsiblity for myself. You can't take care of anyone until you take care of yourself first. They say that everytime you get on an airplane. "Put the mask on yourself and then help the person or child next to you put on the mask."
I think those three weeks started me on the journey to becoming a man. (The pictures are 5th Grade, 7th Grade and 8th Grade)
Sales meeting today---the below is a huge improvement compared to what Eggnog Bill would do at these sales meetings.
BRKFST--PROTEIN SHAKE
SNACK--BANANA AND ALMONDS
LUNCH-PANERA CAESAR SALAD W/CHICKEN
SNACK-APPLE AND ALMONDS (I did eat a gluten free dark chocolate cookie that one of the reps brought into the meeting)
DINNER--SCHLAFLY PUB--I DID PARTAKE IN SOME APPETIZERS, MEATS, AND PRETZEL PCS--MEAL WAS STEAK AND FRITES BUT NO FRITES HAD A SIDE SALAD INSTEAD AND ONE PALE ALE BEER.
NO DESSERT
Exercise: 45 mins on the Gerbils......legs are hurting.
Very tired today. But determined not to let that stop me. Early to bed tonight.
I couldn't stand those west county punks at St. Clements. Arrghh. Anr their gym was pathetic.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. There were a bunch of brats which made it all the sweeter when us "city" kids beat them.
ReplyDeleteFrank, it sounds silly but I still get goose bumps when I think about those Basketball days with Hank L. I dont look back on HS with great fondness. But I do our OLOL sports days. We had one heck of bunch of guys.
No doubt. That was a ton of fun. I still have a couple of the stat sheets that Hank would hand out at the end of the season. Lampe, Luepke, Bommarito, Koster, Venker etc... Good group. Memories I'll always have.
ReplyDelete