I talk a lot about sports on this blog and in my everyday conversations with friends and family. However, there are certain instances and circumstances that come up in life that require me to take some time away from sports. One of which is scholastic obligations. However with what I am studying now, Sport Management, sports is never too far away from my mind or the conversation. Another instance that can draw my mind away from sports, temporarily, is being around the family and engaging in family-type activities, but even in that instance the conversation will usually turn to sports with myself usually being the catalyst for the discussion. People who have known me for any length of time know that I have strong passion for just about everything sports-related and so the conversation will naturally drift in that direction. It is not that I find "other" things in life trivial, it is just natural for me to be thinking about sports on a 24/7 basis. I can talk about and communicate effectively about other things such as music, movies, life experiences, places been, vacations, etc, but not to the extent of which I can express and articulate myself effectively as I can when I am discussing the merits of certain sports teams and am able to name the starting shortstop for every major league team or the second string quarterback for every NFL franchise.
There is one thing, however, that can fully knock my mind off of sports and I do not know how to say it without sounding cliche or trivializing the matter, but that very thing that causes me to pause and reflect is the very thing that happens every day throughout the world and that is the death of a loved one. Whether that be a family member or a friend. When somebody with whom you have had a personal connection with in your life passes, it can be a time of close, personal reflection, and in some instances causes a self-evaluation of your own life. Are you living like you should? Are you taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to you? Have you told that special someone in your life how much you appreciate them being in your life? These thoughts and many others ripped through my mind and put me in a daze of sorts on the afternoon of Wednesday the 19th of January.
Sure I am sad when a famous person of some historical significance passes away but it is usually for a fleeting moment and then it gets pushed to the back burner of my mind. It is just not the same as when you lose someone that you know, from a personal standpoint.
I am writing about this because someone I knew pretty well passed away earlier this week at an age far too young with a vast amount of "life" potential that will remain unfulfilled. This is my way of grieving and giving up my thoughts and prayers to remember this special person. The best way that I know how to express myself is through the written word. I have spent the whole day reflecting upon the times I had with this person and recalling the first time I met this girl. My first remembrance of this girl was when the cross country teams at Lees-McRae got together and played ultimate frisbee the preseason week before school started my sophomore year. She was this tenacious red-head that was constantly in your face, knocking down frisbees and just being a real pain in the butt. As all of us soon came to find out that was just Carla being Carla. She was a tenacious competitor who did not like to lose whether it was in a meaningless ultimate frisbee game, competing on the cross country course, or racing on her bike. She was life personified. She had the best combination of guts and talent than any person that I have ever met. She also combined that with a wonderful personality, a friendly smile, and a keen mind.
Carla Swart, you left us way too soon.
God Bless,
MB
well done. well said.
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