Full Circle

I got asked to sub on a ball team tonight in a league that I use to play in when I first moved here. I had forgotten how to get there, so I had to MapQuest it and get directions. En route everything was good and as I continued to follow the directions it all started to become familiar to me. Then as I turned the last corner into the residential area the memories flooded back to me...

It was 1998 and I was new to the city and didn't really know anyone who played ball but as luck would have it I found a team looking for a girl to play. So I grabbed my gear and headed out to play for this team of unknowns. Initially I was a little surprised as it was definitely a smaller league because there weren’t even fences or an infield where shale would normally be. Needless to say I played with this team for 2 years and in the second year we won the championship, I was totally stoked. But then in a turn of bad luck (depending on how you look at it) I no longer was able to play for the team and they dis-banded. Eventually I made my way to another league and found a much better team and league. I am grateful for the time I played in the smaller league but am much happier where I am.

Weird how all those memories came flooding back to me with one turn of a corner. I'll never forget my time there and as I continue to sub for this team as it makes me appreciate where I am today not only in ball but in life. 

Weird how life comes full circle.

Cutlass Supreme

I dropped my mom off today and as I was leaving an old car caught my eye. It was a two toned 1980's Cutlass Supreme. Immediately I was taken back to my youth as a friend of mine, Lisa drove this exact same car. I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself because I'm about to tell you a story which could only happen to me.

It was the spring of '91 and I had made a new friend from my volleyball team, turned out she was a cousin on my dad's side. Her name was Lisa and she had just moved back to town from the big city. I soon discovered that Lisa was a lot of fun and knew a lot of what I might call 'people I wouldn't normally hang out with.'

As a normal 16 year old, I was going through all of the angst that any red blooded teenager goes through. I made the bright decision to skip school and go to visit a friend of Lisa's. The plan was to tell our parents we had a volleyball tournament so that we could skip school and then head out to a neighbouring city about 2 hours away. So we went ahead with the plan and all seemed well until we got there. I know initially this doesn't sound all that big of a deal, however Lisa's friend was an inmate and not only was I skipping school but I was driving 2 hours out of town to go to a maximum security jail. Right about now is when my mom is cringing because I don't think I've ever told her this before. Sorry to break it to you like this mom, but you'll be happy to know I've learned a lesson from this.

(Back to the story...)

It was so weird because I had never been to a jail before, we had to go through a metal detector (like at the airports), get frisked (I think the cop enjoyed this more than I did) and finally all of our belongings were out on display for all to see (did I mention I carry tampons with me??) After being humiliated we met with her friend behind a wall of bullet proof glass. Apparently contact is not permitted. (That's ok, by this time I was too freaked out to want to shake hands.)

 After our timed visit was over and we left one of the scariest places I have ever been in my life we headed for home. On our way home we chatted about how we had fooled our parents and our plan was a success...no sooner did we say that and there it was right in front of us...my dad's truck. On a 4 lane highway 2 hours away from home my dad, brother and grandfather were here. How could this be??? Immediately I ducked down thinking no one saw me...

All the way home I couldn't think of a lie good enough to tell my parents, Lisa said that they would never catch on and that the volleyball tournament was still the story she was sticking with. The 2 hour drive home was probably the longest and most agonizing ride of my life.

 Needless to say my parents found out, I got grounded and to this day until now my mom only knew that I was in another city. Yes, not one of my shining moments, was it smart...no. But at least it cured me of EVER committing a serious crime.