My life goals while I attended NMHS were as follows: Be a top football player, play on a championship team, play football at college on scholarship, go into coaching. I was so focused on those goals that I turned down an offer to go to Centenary College in La. on an academic scholarship plus grants to the extent that my college would have been payed for during my Junior year because they did not play football. Then during my Senior year, my dreams were shattered. There were no offers to play football anywhere. Neither were there anymore offers based on my academics. Coach Qualls told me that to go into coaching, I would need to be involved in football and if I went 4 years without football, then I would not be a serious coaching candidate anywhere. So, all of my dreams, all of my aspirations were smashed.
After High School, I did go to Eastfield Community College for 2+ years ( I have 90 hours there at that 2 year Junior College). But, I never developed interest in doing anything else and dropped out. It was during this time that I really felt like a loser.
It was during a Summer's day when a group of us from church went to Six Flags. While there, I noticed that the gossip that I had been hearing was true when I saw Cindy's name on the sign of performers for their show at the Southern Palace. So I went and spent the whole afternoon standing in line ( I stood in line for 3 shows and when I finally got to the door to get in to see a show, they had changed shows and performers So Cindy was not there, so I did not go in.). While standing in line, I received comments about my manhood (Southern Palace was thought of as a place that women wanted to hang out), people pointing out how many words that Cindy and I had said to each other during all 4 years of high school combined, and that Cindy would not only never know that I was there but she would not remember or speak to me if we should ever see each again.
What nobody understood was the change in direction that my mind had made that day. Even though all of my dreams had been shattered, I still could and would support and be happy for those who were still pursuing theirs. After that I was able to be happy anytime Gary Blair carried the ball for Baylor, or when the Pam's were shown on TV cheering for UT. The one thing that I was learning back then was that even though my dreams and aspirations could and would be broken, my reactions towards others still be one of love for them.
That would not be the last time that I went through something like that. I would later lose my Insurance Agency due to a company downsizing, and about 15 years ago some Seminary Graduates got involved with my family and friends and turned them all against me.
We can't control what happens to us, but if we have experienced how much God loves us, then we are able to respond with love for others no matter what happens to us.
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