Being sick might be the worst thing ever. I have been sick for the past 3 weeks. And I am not exagerating at all. I have been sick with a sore throat, runny nose, and clogged ears. My nose has been constant. CONSTANT. As soon as I blow my nose, it is clogged again. I am convinced that this is what hell feels like. It is terrible.
As 2009 draws to a close, it seems weird that another year has passed by. I don't really remember anything major that happened this year which makes it seem like the year was boring and uneventful. But As I look back, it was a good year.
Year started out without anything major. Heather was still at the same job she had been at since graduating from college, and I was starting the my second semester in my First year at Santa Fe. The beginning of the year was uneventful, and we we still getting used to life together and figuring out how life works.
School year finished up, and my seniors graduated which was a weird feeling, and one of my favorite students, Tommy Mallon, broke his neck. That was a very humbling and scary experience that I will never forget. I spent the summer teaching summer school and spending time with Tommy as he was stuck at his house. The summer brought our first anniversary that was spent in Orange County on the coast. It was a relaxing trip that was great for both of us.
We moved to a newer, better condo which is closer to work, and much bigger. Moving isn't fun, but the place we are in now is so much better then the last place. It has been nice to be in a bigger place, with some room to put things, and room for the two of us.
A couple other summer trips brought us to August which began a new school year for me. It was a weird feeling letting kids go and getting new ones. But a few weeks in brought comfort back as I got to know my students better and we started having fun together.
October brought the death of one of my students, and a rock to my school. Will was killed in a car accident, and it left myself, and a lot of my students and families with a lot of questions. I miss Will. I still miss Will. I will always miss Will. He was a great kid, with an amazing smile, that will never be forgotten. I am still not sure what to do with that situation. It is still new and weird. I think about him often. I wish he was still here. But it is good to know he is with our savior, smiling down on us.
Basketball season started up which has been a ton of fun. We have a team that just works real hard all the time which is great for us coaches. We are off to a great start, and the new year starts league play which we are hoping to win. We have a good chance at it.
Heather is still at the same job, which offers a lot of flexibility which is fun so that we can take short vacations when my teaching schedule allows for some time off. We are looking forward to a good new year, with some new adventures, and fun trips together. We are taking life one year at a time, and this new year is a new start. We are thankful for our jobs, and the ability to be comfortable. We are excited for a new year and what it brings.
I spent the last four days in Morro Bay, which is a little town on the coast very close to San Luis Obispo. We had a basketball tournament there. It is a pretty cool little town. Not much to do, but had some incredible scenery and some great views. That whole area of California is unique and different. Both coastal as well as country. I spent the weekend with our other coaches and basketball players. Great memories and time spent with some quality guys. We spent one morning golfing in the rain. Played all 18 holes, 6 holes of which were solid downpours, 3 holes in a constant mist, and the other 9 under the sun. Great time. I am fortunate to coach with some great guys that I really enjoy being with. Our boys finished in second places, losing in the championship game.
If you ever get a chance, visit SLO, Cambia, Morro Bay, etc...Fun places to spend a few days.
Just a couple of days ago, i posted that things were going so well and nothing was really happening here. And then the next day comes. I lost a student on Sunday. In a car accident. He was thrown from the car and died on impact with the street. Four of his friends were also in the car, but they are all okay. I have all five boys in class this year. Not to mention the entire Junior class that is suffering from the loss of their friend. What do you do with an empty seat in a class that was occupied by their friend? That empty seat signifies a lot. It means everything to these kids. It means everything to me. That seat is never going to be filled. I miss Will. I miss his smile, his constant smile. I miss his smirk. That smirk that he gave when you caught him doing something. I miss his laugh. His laugh that meant you had really done something well. He didn't just laugh for anything. I miss his kindness. I miss his leadership. I miss Will Wardrip. It wont be the same without you Will. We don't move on, we just keep going. We keep going without you. Not by choice, but because we have to. Until we meet again, and we will meet again.
Life is moving along for the Gray's. Nothing major is really happening these days. My school year is moving well. I can't wait for Thanksgiving Break. I haven't had a day off since Labor Day so I have been feeling the grind. My students are doing well, still getting used to each other but it is moving a long well. Have some ones that frustrate me and some that I really like. But that is always the case. Basketball season is starting soon which is awesome and will keep me busy. But I am really excited about it. I was asked to help coach this year and I am so ready for the season. It is going to be a lot of fun.
Heather is doing well also. She is at the same job that she has been at since we graduated from college. It isn't anything special, but we both feel blessed to have jobs in a time that many people can't say that. We are very fortunate to both be working. We don't complain about work often, but when we do, the other reminds us that we both work and it puts things into perspective. Heather's job is very flexible and allows her to take days off if she needs to which she really likes. It allows her to travel and visit home and friends.
Life is good. We are blessed.
A little story about one of my students from last school year. I am honored to now call him my friend. Tommy's story is one that I hope no one has to live out themselves. But he is teaching me a lot about life. And I hate that he has to go through what he has to go through. But he does, and he is a fighter, and God has great things in store for him.
In Tommy's last Lacrosse game of his senior season, Tommy was hit while going after the ball. He thought, as we all did, that he was fine and that he just had a little pain in his neck, and that he could get up and move off the field. He had full movement in all his limbs, and never lost consciousness or memory. The trainer came out on the field and thankful made sure he stayed down, and since it was a neck injury, called the ambulance and made him go to the hospital. X-Rays were done strictly as a pre-caution. The x ray's showed that Tommy had a significant break in his C-1 vertebrae. Had he gotten up on the field, he could have killed himself.
The C-1 vertebrae is the very first vertebrae in your spinal cord, right below your skull. A big deal to break obviously. Tommy spent a lot of time in the hospital, and was finally able to come home. He currently is in a halo that immobilizes his head and neck in the hopes of the vertebrae healing itself. They are not sure what the next steps are, surgery to fuse bones are a real possibility. A scary situation to say the least.
I try and visit Tommy as often as I can. Never once have I heard him complain about anything. And he has a lot to complain about. Never once have I ever heard him say "I wish it were different" or " why did this have to happen?" I am sure he has thought it countless times, but never voiced them. Which says a lot to me. Tommy is a fighter. I knew that they first day I met him. It is just who he is. And it is evident even more now. He keeps fighting and walking down the path that God has laid out for him. Things like this put a lot of things in perspective for me. I mean, what do I really have to complain about. I got everything I need, and then some. We are truly blessed. All of us.
You can follow Tommy's battle on his blog: tommymallon.blogspot.com. There are plenty more details about everything there if you are interested. They have made a foundation in his honor as well at injuredathletes.org. Thanks for reading up on Tommy. He is a fighter and I proud to call him my friend.
Tommy, if you ever read this, know that I love you and pray for you everyday. I am proud of you. I hate that you have to go through this. I am here for you. And I look up to you. You are teaching me new things day by day. Keep fighting. There is something great in this for you. Keep fighting.
We got to spend this weekend with a lot of college friends. Almost all of them do not live in San Diego. So these are not people that we get to see very often. It reminded me how much I miss them, and reminded me just how much fun I had with all these people just a few years ago. It is crazy to think that I forgot all my college years just two years out. I was in one of my good friends wedding. A lot of us college friends all were in town to celebrate a great day and a great guy. It was so good to see all them, and SO great to remember what great time I had with all of them.
The other thing that this weekend made me realize is how valuable your friends are. There is just no replacing them. It makes me sad to sit here back at home and not be able to spend time with them. I am learning more and more that it is the people in your life that matter. Not so much where you are, or what you do, but the people that you spend it with.
To our friends: Thank you so much. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for all you have meant to us over the years. Thank you for shaping us as we have grown together. We value you. We hope that someday soon we can be closer and spend more consistent time together. Thanks for being you.
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