Workshops

Last Wednesday I attended two workshops for my IS class. The first one that I went to was called Vocation and the speaker said a quote that helped me understand what vocation is. "You must take your place in the circle of life," from the Lion King, was the quote that he mentioned in his presentation. To me, this quote meant that you find what you want to do in life that has meaning and that can help someone else. Your vocation keep the circle of life going and continues to help people, so those people can help other people as well. The second workshop that I went to was Wartburg West, which is located in Denver. I'm considering going to Wartburg West my junior year sometime. I would love you experience a difference environment and possibly do an internship with physical therapy while I'm there. Wartburg West is something that really interested me and it was one of the things that made Wartburg very appealing to me.

My Biggest Fear

My biggest fear in life is not succeeding or not being good enough. I never want to disappoint anyone and to hear anyone say that they are disappointed to me just instantly destroys me. My parents have said it to me a few times and I had no words to say back. Hearing the words crush me and I never know what to do from there. I hate letting people down and failing. I work as hard as I can to please people and be the best person that I can be and it always scares me that I can't do it and that I will somehow fail. My parents are my motivators in life and I always want to make them proud with everything I do, whether it's in sports, school, or anything in general. I never want to make them mad or disappointed in me. And it's not just my parents, it's my coaches, little brother, grandparents, teachers, etc. I feel like I am capable to do certain things and I don't want to fail and make anyone less proud of me. That's just one thing that I am afraid of and that is always on my mind.

Outfly

Well Outfly finally came! I was starting to think that it really didn't exist. I was hoping that it was coming soon. I was checking my phone every morning this week because I thought it was going to be that day. It was actually a perfect day for outfly for me because we got back really late from our soccer game so I got to sleep in. Outfly was a very lazy day for me. It consisted of going to Cedar Falls for breakfast and then watching movies the rest of the day. I really like the fact that we have Outfly here at Wartburg. I think it's something fun that can get students involved and it's a bit of a stress reliever for some people because it gives them time to catch up on sleep or homework. but I guess it also makes some people more stressed because they never know when it's going to be. I wasn't really too stressed about it, I just hoped it was coming soon because I really enjoyed the day off and a day to relax. I will be looking forward to it every year now.

Car Accident

When I was 16, I was driving to Cedar Rapids for a soccer game with my friend. I was about 30 minutes into the drive when I saw my life flash before my eyes. I was driving on the highway and there were no cars around me, but I looked over at my friend when we were talking and then I realized that I was slowly going off on the shoulder of the road and when I hit the gravel on the side of the road, it scared me so much that I turned the stirring wheel so fast and we began to swerve. I tried to overcorrect myself and get back on the road, but I was continuing to swerve at about 65 mph. Then all of the sudden the car was rolling. I hit my head on the top of the ceiling and I could barely see anything. The car landed on it's wheels and all that I could see what shattered windows and pieces of glass all over me. My friend was completely shocked in the passenger sit, but also calm at the same time. I broke down. There were instant tears and I called my dad right away. I was shaking so much that I couldn't even talk to him. The guy in the car behind me stopped to make sure that I was okay and to call the police. A few minutes later the ambulance and police came to get us and I was taken out on a stretcher. My friend thought it was funny and she was all worried because he lost her shoe in the crash. We both came out with just a few scratches and bruises and I will forever be thankful for whoever was looking out for me on that day. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes and it happened in a matter of 10 seconds. It's was the scariest thing I have ever been too and it made me realize how something really bad can happen in so little time and you never know when it could happen.

College So Far

I think my transition into college has been getting a lot better. Now that soccer season is coming to an end, I'm getting the real feel for college. I'm meeting new people and beginning to focus more on the school aspect. I'm actually really surprised at how well I am doing in all of my classes. I have definitely realized that you have to do a lot more work in college than you ever have to do in high school. In high school, they walk you through everything and basically hold your hand and when you get to college you are on your own and I figured that out quickly when I got here. As for the family part of it, I still miss them, but it's getting a lot easier because I'm focusing on other things right now and keeping myself busy. And I know that when soccer season is over that I will be able to visit them more often. So I would say that I am enjoying college so far and I can't wait to see how the rest of my year is going to go.

Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson is a professional football player that plays for the Minnesota Vikings. Today his two year old son died, due to abuse by Joseph Patterson, the mother's boyfriend. He first called the police Wednesday to report that the child was choking. When the police arrived at the house the child was unresponsive. The police found that the child had injuries to the head and Patterson was the only one in the house at this time. He was arrested and charged with battery. I don't understand how anyone could beat a child like that, whether it's your child or not. He murdered this child and he should have to pay for his actions. It breaks my heart to see that this is going on in our society and sometimes people are getting away with it. I don't understand how he can feel no guilt for what he did and admit to his wrongdoings.

Giving It Away

Since I tore my ACL two weeks ago, it's been a struggle for me to sit on the sideline and watch my team. Especially when I know that I could be out there scoring and helping the team out. It kills me when I see people giving up and not giving their all on the field because I wish I could be doing what they are doing and they are taking it for granted. I know that our team is in a slump right now and we aren't winning very many games, but I still want our team to try and to not give up. I would do anything to be back out there playing and all I can do it cheer on my teammates and push them to do their best.

Roommates

When I came to college I was expecting my roommate to my best friend. I wanted her to be someone that I could tell anything to and do fun things with, but unfortunately it isn't that way for me. My roommate plays on the soccer team with me, but we have nothing in common at all. We've tried to talk about it and fix things but it's not working out for us. I think in college your not going to get everything you want and this is just something in my life that I have to deal with and overcome, no matter how frustrated I get. Through the reading in the IS book about the roommates, I think that I will just have to stick it out because my expectations for my roommate were too high.

Vocation

I know in class on Wednesday we were talking about vocation and what we think it means to us and how we are taught about it hear at Wartburg. I think a lot of people today think that they need a job that pays well and will get them through life without struggling. Some people don't even do something they love anymore because they think that they won't make enough money. I think that the salary is an important part, but not the most important part. For me, I want to be a physical therapist. I know that they make pretty good money, but that's not the main reason why I want to do it. I want to spend the rest of my life doing something that I love and that I'm passionate about. I've had so many injures in sports so I know what it's like behind the curtains of a physical therapist and what it takes to be one. I want to be the person that is able to help someone recover from an injury or be able to help them with whatever problem that they are having. I think that your career or your calling should matter more on how much you love it, rather then how much money you will make.