I've heard a lot of stories lately and have known a lot of people who have gotten medically disqualified or are afraid they are going to from the U.S. Military. And although I don't expect I'll be DQ'd any time soon, I've thought a lot about what if that happened to me, because hey, it's a complete toss up. Will this or that injury or whatever disqualify you? How do you prove it no longer affects you? I like to think I'm 100% healthy, but if the worst happened and this stupid fracture in my shin meant that my dreams were over, how angry would I be? How hard would I cry? I mean what do you say when you work hard and give your all in ROTC for a year or two and then somebody shakes their head, pats you on the back for a job well done but not quite well enough, and directs you the other way? I think that in that case, you just have to stand up and realize that there's going to be more for you in this life. That you got the short end of the stick this time, but are going to win out in the future. Because you always have a choice of how to deal with your lot in life, and while the choices aren't always glamorous, fighting hard until the fight is over never hurt anyone, as long as they learned how to accept the end when it finally came.
Ever since I got my first C, failed to get an award at an award ceremony and accepted my mediocrity, I've learned how to succeed more often than not. But it's a joke to think that everything is going to go well all of the time, and I mean, even your greatest strength won't hold up every time it's put under a magnifying glass. I mean, take me, for instance. My biggest strength is my ability to push hard and never stop- at running mostly and on a bike and at PT- but even I am human, as shocked as I was to discover it, and even I have bones that can get weakened under overuse and even my body needs a long hiatus from endurance sports every now and then.
A lot of people think that failure is a cue to stop trying. But it's not. I don't know any better way to explain that to people. I started as a 12 year old scrawny kid who had a few good friends, good grades (but hey I was in 7th grade), played two instruments halfway decently and was afraid of the ball. Flash forward 7 years and I am three months shy of my 20th birthday (gosh, I'm old), and a Boston qualifier. Beyond that, I'm a student, a ROTC midshipman, a cyclist, skier, sister, friend and daughter (and I'm still afraid of the ball, but this isn't middle school and in the world I have sought, that's ok as long as you strive to be a PT God and accept that you still have great lengths to improve when you fail miserably). It amazes me how many people I have grown close to over the years, especially since I started college, how many places I have had the opportunity to travel to with and without my family and ultimately, just the experiences that have led me to become the young woman I am today. So when I come across another failure, I'll probably fall down and I'll probably hate my life just a little, but to be fair and to offer a little sage advice at the wise old age of 19 and three quarters, you get a lot of chances in life.
You will mess up, make mistakes and get kicked back a little, but you will also face the most beautiful moments in the world, that may be as simple as eating chocolate covered strawberries at a spring training baseball game with your parents or as self fulfilling as crossing the finish line of a marathon or bringing home straight As. At some point in your life, I guarantee that you will disappoint yourself and you will disappoint others. Sometimes it will be your own fault and other times you will have absolutely zero control. But blame never got anyone anywhere. You will remember later that hindsight is 20/20 and try to do better next time. But for now, do your best and bask in the inherent simplicity of learning from your mistakes.
That's all I've got for now,
Sarah
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