This I Believe

2 October 2006

This I Believe

One thing that I have always believed in is to stick to something even if you don’t succeed at first and also listen to your parents. The saying, “Try, Try again,” describes exactly what I am talking about. I believe in this because you can never tell if you like something if you have only tried it once and failed that one time. I realized this in sixth or seventh grade when I was reminiscing about my hockey career.

I started playing hockey when I was five years old which was two years after I learned to skate. My first day of hockey was horrible; I missed the puck twenty eight out of the thirty times it came to me and just about every time I went for the puck I ended up face down on the ice. After an hour and a half practice I came off the ice ready to punch someone in the face. I told my dad I would never play again. He said that I was just having a bad day and that I should try again next weekend and then he bought me an Icee. Being five, I was totally persuaded by my all knowing dad and the wonderful cherry flavored slushy. The next weekend we went back to the rink and I took the ice again. This time for some unknown reason I was an all-star. I only missed the puck two or three times and I didn’t fall once. Instantly, I loved the game of hockey. When I came off the ice this time I wanted to hug someone. I ran up to my dad and said, “That was awesome!”

He was glad so know that I liked the game he had always loved and then he said I told you so. I didn’t understand this at the time but now I know what he meant and he was exactly right. That is why I now give anything my parents say some thought because there is a good chance it could be right. I went on to play travel hockey for eight more years until I discovered football.

The time I spent playing hockey during those eight years brought me some of my greatest memories. I can credit this to not giving up and believing in what my parents say. I will use the two for the rest of my life.