Reflection

I was at Crossgates Mall doing a little shopping.  I was coming out of the store
Cohoes when this man yelled out, “Excuse me Miss.”  This man was the person in the mall who goes around checking I.D.’s at the mall after four p.m.  I thought to myself, “Are you serious, is the man really coming over to I.D. me?”  Instead, he asked me where my smile went.  I immediately smiled and told him it had been a long day.  Then he went on to tell me this really weird and awkward story.  He told me about how if it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t be here right now.  He told me that it takes two people to make a baby, but that I was the only one who could carry one.  He told me to think about that for a minute, I did, and told him he was right.  He told me to keep that in mind, have a good day, and god bless.  The whole time he was talking to me I was thinking, oh my gosh, what is this guy talking about, why is he talking to me?  Did this whole conversation spring from the fact that I walked out of a store and wasn’t smiling?  When the man was done talking I walked away thinking to myself, how did that just happen?  That was the weirdest conversation I think I have ever had with a stranger in my entire life.  Who goes up to a total stranger and starts talking about how lucky they are to be here because females are the only ones who can give birth to children?  Random.   

 I love…(read p. 411 of “Why I Ride” I love to play volleyball.  It was my favorite sport in high school.  Getting out there on the court and competing gets my adrenaline flowing.  It is wonderful to be wrapped up in each play of the game.  You always have to be thinking about your next move, your teams next move and your opponenets next move.  You are always moving, always talking, and always focused.  I love to zone everybody in the stands out.  I focus on what my teammates are telling me and what my coach has to say.  All the other problems or issues I am having or stressing over, I just forget about them.  While I am out there on the volleyball court I focus on nothing but volleyball.  Everything else that is happening in my life can wait until this game is over  I am not a….(Richman uses the negative at least twice in her essay—first on page 396 and again on p. 411).

I am not a wimpy, girlie volleyball player.  I am an athlete who plays volleyball in a tough and challenging sport.  I am not the person who gets out on the court and is afraid to go after a ball that is served over the net.  I am not afraid to get on the ground in order to save a ball and keep it in play.  I am not afraid to serve the ball hard over the net every single time.  I am not afraid to give the other team my knuckle ball serve either.  I am not afraid to be aggressive when I spike that ball over the net at the other team.  I am not a wimpy volleyball  player.  I am an aggressive and athletic volleyball player.     

I didn’t…….

I didn’t give fifty percent each time I went out on the court.  I gave it everything I had, each time.  I wasn’t afraid to step up and lead my team.  I didn’t sit back and watch my team fall apart.  I did my best to get everyone motivated and focused on the task at hand.  I didn’t let negativity ruin a teammates focus.  If they were having a bad day at spiking I kept encouraging them to try.  I didn’t let them give up.  I would tell them everyone has their bad days and some days you are just off.  But to remember that they will have days when their serves are right on and days when their spikes will land in the back corner of the court every time.  I didn’t let me team get down on themselves or beat themselves up over a bad play or a bad game.   

A list of things you need to do/engage with/participate in your personal passion. (See page 413).

To play volleyball you need to be able to perform the basic skills.  You need to be able to serve, pass the ball and either set the ball or spike the ball.  You can be great at all of those things, at a few, or even just one.  You need to be able to work with a team and as a member of a team.  Yes, you do need to have some individual skills.  However, your individual skills will do the team no good, if you don’t learn how to use those skills to better the team and not just yourself.  

 Describe an object that is essential to your passion… (Look at Richman’s description of her bike on p. 404).

An object that is essential to my passion is a volleyball.  That ball determines how practices go, who wins a game, and who loses a game.  Players are expected to manipulate that ball to go where they want it to go or where it needs to go.  If the ball lands too far the the right of the whtie line, the ball is out of play, and the other team gets a point.  If the ball comes at you and you are not ready, then that ball could go anywhere, most likely a place you don’t want it to go.  That ball can help you become a better vollebyall player in practices.  You can use that ball to improve your serving, your passing, your setting, your spiking, and your digs.    

What kinds of special knowledge do you need to participate in your personal passion?      

You need to understand the rules of how volleyball is played.  You need to understand the different rotations, you need to understand each position and the responsibility that goes along with that position, and you need to understand how the scoring works.  

What are the concerns, issues, problems, difficulties that you face?  Some difficulties you encounter when playing volleball can be individual based or team based.  You do not always get along with your teammates or have the same philosophy about the game as they do.  It can be difficult to find a middle ground or a way to work through it in order to make the team successful.  Volleyball can also be difficult when you as an individual are struggeling to master a certain skill.  At the varsity level the starting six spots are very competative.  If you are having trouble passing or serving the ball then there is a good chance that another player can take your starting position for that game.    Searching for insights:

• Sometimes I think X, other times Y…

Sometimes I wish I continued playing volleyball through college and other times I don’t.  I think about how nice it would have been to still play games everyweek and go to practices and go to away games with the team.  However, then I think about how stressful the homework load can get now, when I do not even play volleyball.  I have chosen a major that is very demanding.  A major in which the college does not guarantee you will complete in four years.  I couldn’t imagine scheduling classes around my practice or game schedules.  I don’t’ even want to think about how long it would take me to complete my undergraduate work if I was playing a sport at the college level. 

·        When most people think about (your personal passion), they probably think about……………

The show Daria from MTV, where she is standing on the volleyball court.  The volleyball goes by, she puts her arm out, and says, “Oops.”  Volleyball may also be thought of as a girlie sport.  Where girls are afraid of the ball and run away eveytime the ball is hit towards them.

 ·        What they don’t know/realize/understand is……………..

That volleyball is a highly intense and competative sport.  Volleyball is not for whimps or girlie girls.  Volleyball requires a lot of skill and hard work in order to be successful at it.  You have to learn how to receive a ball from a serve and pass it up in the direction of the setter’s position.  You need to learn how to spike the ball over the net and put some fear in your opponenets.  You  also need to know how to serve the ball over the net.  Once you learn how to get that ball over the net then you can then work on placing the ball when you serve.  You can work on how hard you serve the ball or if you want the ball to curve when you serve it.  Volleyball is a team sport.  You need all six players on the court working together, talking to one another, and keeping everyone focused on the game. 

I enjoy working out and reading fitness magazine.  I try to get to the gym at least three times a week.  That does not always happen, but I try.  This first blog that really interested me talks about new exercises to try or new fitness routines to try at the gym. Since I enjoy reading these articles, this seemed like a good blog for me to tag.  http://technorati.com/blogs/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tranquillizer.co.uk%2Farticles

This blog talks about fitness, but in a humor way.  This is a good blog for me to use when I am having frustrations with my work out or just need to vent to someone.  http://technorati.com/blogs/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitnessfixation.com

This third blog that interested me is more about nutrition that fitness.  However, fitness and nutrition go hand and hand so I could not pass it up.  I also like this blog because it had 234 other blogs linked to it.  I know this will be a resourceful blog for me to use.  http://technorati.com/blogs/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eatingfabulous.com