Making the Best of it

Someone told me that whatever happens in life is your fault. It’s not a mean statement; sure, it errs on the harsh side, but it is realistic way of saying life is what you make it. As coach gathered us all around after a team barbeque one night, he relayed these words, put down his guard for a moment, and told us the secrets he had learned through life. Those words, the unplanned passionate sentences that travel between people are priceless. He told us his 7 rules of life. First, he said, “whatever happens in your life is your fault. No one screwed you,” he said with affirmation.
He told us, almost demanded that we find our passions. "Get passionate about something," he said, find a dream and accomplish it. No one can stop you. No one cares what it is you want to do. "No one cares if you like, theater, or sports, or school." Find something and go after it.
He asked us if we thought life was short. Some said yes, and he said he didn’t, “life is a long fucking time.” At that moment, we had time, we were not the coach telling young men and women to live. We were the young men and women. Life is long. We can take advantage of each moment, create so many memories that it is hard to remember them all. Or, we can do the same thing each day without passion or meaning and we will only have the memory of one day to suffice for years of a lifetime. I hope to do the first. Make every day slightly different. Make something unforgettable and make my every days memorable.
I think, no, I know loving those around us helps achieve that. When we love the people around us or “near” to us in thought, we can enjoy every action. With the knowledge that someone else is thinking about us, we can be more proud of the things we do with the hope that somehow they see. Somehow they will know, and we become more accountable. We become better citizens, sisters, partners, fathers. We begin to act with others in mind, and our actions transform into things of worth and things worthy of pride.
So choose your life, and be proud of the choices.