People don’t understand what it means to be Me

I play sports, music, and succeeds in school

This is, however, a very lonely place to be

Especially at high school

A place of specialization

Everyone is successful in their one thing

But no one is like Me 

I am baseball

Baseball is the brown sand-like clay that flies up when you get there

The green grass that stains your pants and jersey

Running hard to chase down the ball

Reaching out

Diving

Trying to get that ball

Which secures the last out

Secures the win

Or gives the other team a chance to get back into the game

Why can’t I throw hard enough?

Why can’t I hit far enough?

What gives other people the ability to be so much better?

Are they actually better?

Is this in my head?

I am volleyball

Volleyball is the brown, wooden court that can be as hard as landing on rock

Or is as soft as jumping into bed

The bloody, beat up knees from spending all of practice diving around the court

It’s reactionary

Depending on what the other team does

Where they go

What they leave open

It’s about trying again, again, again, and again

Sometimes you get stuffed

Other times you get a kill

It’s about being physically dominate over the person across the net from you

Why can’t I jump high enough?
Why can’t I hit the ball hard enough?

What gives other people the ability to be so much better?

Are they actually better?

Is this in my head?

I am track

Track is the gritty, black, tirelike pieces that come up when you rub it

Your hands turn black by the end of the meet as the black gets everywhere

The sound of a gun starting the race

The feeling of being drained and out of breath, but you have to keep pushing yourself

The crowd cheers as you pass one person after another, after another

Or get passed

Why aren’t I fast enough?

Why can’t I jump far enough?

What gives other people the ability to be so much better?

Are they actually better?

Is this in my head?

I am soccer

Soccer is the soccer pitch

It’s running hard towards the ball

A bloody knee after sliding into the ball

Pain in every step

Blisters forming

To get there milliseconds before the defender

To make a split second second decision

Pass or shoot

Left or right

Top or bottom

Placement or power

Goal or miss

Win or lose

Hero or nobody

Hair blowing behind you in the wind as you get closer and closer

Closer to the win, or to the loss

Why can’t I kick hard enough?

Why can’t I keep the ball?

What gives other people the ability to be so much better?

Are they actually better?

Is this in my head?

I am legacy

My name is derived from the first Roman Emperor

He was able to expand the empire to encase the whole Mediterranean Sea

All of modern day France, Spain, and Portugal

All of Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa

How did he do it?

How can I do it?

What makes him special?

What should I do?

Can’t someone help me?

Can’t someone just do it for me?

I am hard work

Hard work is working two jobs

Balancing enjoyment and experience versus money and boredom

It’s waking up early and going to sleep late

Pulling 12 hour shifts

Working 8 hours at one job, only to drive and work 4 more hours at the other

It’s dealing with the cranky, immature, and tired customers who have screaming kids that they’re sick of

How much money is worth cranky people?

How do I balance school too?

Do I study?

Do I sleep?

If I don’t study I don’t succeed

If I don’t sleep I don’t have the energy to succeed

What should I do?

Can’t someone help me?

Can’t someone just do it for me?

I am drums

Drums are the sound that fuels the team

To victory

Or defeat

It’s making loud noises with your closest friends

Not because it’s popular

But because it’s fun

We drum the rhythms that push the modern day gladiators on the gridiron

Or on the court

Or on the rink

Why do people think I’m weird?

Why is my enjoyment a bad thing?

What should I do?

Can’t someone help me?

Can’t someone just do it for me?

I am a leader

Leaders coach

Balancing enjoyment and experience versus skill and wanting to win

It’s figuring out how far is too far

How hard can they be pushed? 

After a long day of school

Without it tipping the scale

The ones that screw around

Don’t give any effort

But are the best players on the team

And the ones that give their all

But they suck

You have to give them more playing time than the good players

Right?

But then what about winning?

What should I do?

Can’t someone help me?

Can’t someone just do it for me?

Life isn’t simple

There’s going to be other people

Faster

Stronger

Smarter

Better

People

You are you

Nothing you can change

Be the best you

Don’t give up

Keep on moving

Only I know what it’s like to be Me

Just like

Only you know what it’s like to be you