Windy Days

Truth can be found in the smallest ways.

I discovered this while in lacrosse tryouts. Though it was chilly and slightly misting, my coach sent everyone outside to stretch and warm up. As soon as we left the comfortably heated gym, the wind stung my cheeks and ears. My teeth chattering, I followed the seniors in our dynamic stretches. While we stretched, a couple of girls were talking, singing and some were even dancing to distract themselves from the painfully cold weather. Almost everyone else was comparing how numb their fingers and legs were, or restating the already stated fact that it was cold outside. However, I zoned out, as I usually do when I am in large groups of people. Then, briefly, for just a moment, the wind stopped. The weather became immediately bearable without the biting and stinging of the wind.

Almost as quickly as it left, a big gust of wind picked up and continued, in varying degrees, for the rest of our warm-ups. Thankfully, we were able to return inside and finish the rest of our practice in the gym relatively soon afterwards. When the wind stopped, I saw that the wind is just completely unpredictable. But getting upset over things you cannot control, like the weather, is pointless.

Instead, I remain positive and willing to persist through all situations. It’s the only way to go. Not only is it much less frustrating, it is rewarding to experience pain and remain in control by staying upbeat. American author F. Scott Fitzgerald summed this up quite nicely: “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.”