Brought To Tears

Skating tonight was like...
...playing in the championship game. The game against the best team in the league. The team that hasn't lost a game in years. They are all over 6'5" / 200 lbs / all gonna play in college. You know you don't have a chance. Despite all odds though, you stay with 'em for a while. It's 27 - 21 in the first quarter. You've got a chance. You can take 'em if you play right, play smart. But that was a while ago. Not tonight. Tonight, it's the end of the game. The last quarter. The last minute. You look up at the score board. Out of nowhere, it's 43 to what might as well be a million. You don't know how they got so far ahead. It really doesn't matter what you do now. They have already won. But everything in you keeps going. You put more into this part of the game than you've ever put into any part. of any game. ever. But all that comes out is Frustration. Anger. Sadness. Remorse. You Run. Kick. Push. Fight. all for nothing. You cannot win. It's over. Yet you continue. Your vision gets blurry. You get sloppy. But you will not go out with a whimper. There will be nothing left of you when the buzzer rings. All of you is left on the court. That's the only way you'll have it. But it's all over now. They beat you. Defeat. Pain.Tears.
...
In the end, you had a good season. great teammates. a great coach. a fun time together. But this is your last season and you lost the championship game. There are tears shed. You're uncertain of what the future will be like. But one thing you know is you're going to miss what you had.
...
I am dismayed at the closing of Boone's skatepark. Tonight was probably the last time I'll ever skate that place by myself. It's even likely that was the last time I'll ever skate it. That park was the biggest, and probably the best thing that happened for the kids(young and old) in this town. Shoot. I shouldn't even try to make it about "the kids." I'm talking about myself. It was the best thing for me. But I know everybody who spent every spare moment out there would agree with me. That was my favorite place in this town.
...
Again, I'm brought to tears to see it go.