*sigh*
Alot of times I hold alot in until I break.
My mind is on 100 and sometimes I want to scream.
I head to the court, headphones in, phone off.
The basketball court is my place of serenity.
My place to unwind, my place to be free and forget about whatever is going on in my head at the time.
Being at school,I try to hit the court as much as possible but due to my schedule and how my weeks go, I end up not going.
Before I went away from home, I always had time to spend just shooting around and release my inner stress.
It helped me to feel better and focus.
Basketball is everything to me. During times of hurt or when I’m in my feelings so to speak, I turn to nba players and I watch old interviews just to cheer me up or put me in their shoes.
Last Night was a night for it. My mind was all over the place and I couldn’t sleep so I went to youtube and started with John Wall. I watched 5 different interviews where he was speaking about upcoming games or his signature shoe or even being an all-star. I still was in a rut so I switched to Michael Jordan and for some reason I stumbled upon the 1996 finals. This particular championship run was right after Michael’s father was unfortunately murdered. I’ve never experienced a pain such as him but I know that he found his refuge on the court. He played his heart out and once the championship was in hand he let all his emotions out on the court. It was about 3:30 in the morning by this time and in my head I wanted to tell him it was going to be okay. The bulls winning that championship not only solidified Michael as a great but it also showed in a time of a deep pain that basketball can be an uplifter. Lastly and by this its almost 6am, I am watching none other than Kobe Bryant hosting with Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons. They are reminiscing about Kobe’s seasons with the Lakers as well as the best current players of the NBA. This interview showed me more of what players see and think outside of the game. I found my serenity and was starting to feel alot better and able to sleep (it was after 8am this morning). I often say I’m okay when deep down I’m crumbling, I just don’t want people to feel sorry for me especially if its an issue I can handle on my own. Basketball eases my mind and allows me for the moment that it is own to just exhale and breathe. It’s the first thing I go to in times of trouble, happiness, pleasure when I feel alone or when I just want to celebrate. Basketball is my refuge but also my family. It’s like the brother I’ve always wanted and friend I always needed. What is your refuge in time of storm?
Thanks for reading!
