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Dec. 1, 2004
There comes a time in some people's life where, in the deepest, most profound sense, they come to see that they have no idea who they are or what they are doing. Like a blind man regaining his sight only to see that his new world is worse than when his eyes were closed I stand today. I have reached a point of new awareness previously unknown to me and I find that all I want now is to travel back to the times of self disillusionment.
As a soccer player I used to pride myself in being able to say that my sport is something I do- It is not who I am. I pretended there was a detachment between my self and my sport. The end of our season, and the end of my soccer career, has slapped me across the face. I wasn't ready for it and, as ridiculous as it sounds, I never really thought the end would come. But it's here. And now I suddenly see that I cannot separate who I am with what I do. A true paradigm shift. This of course leaves me in a strange state at the moment. It is hard to muster self affirmation as a soccer player who no longer plays soccer.
However, we create new identities for ourselves all the time. Each one somewhat determined by our past. And what a great past I've had. The memories I've received from soccer I will take with me the rest of the days of my life. So enough of these melancholic musings...lets focus on the good that is Husky Soccer Tradition. For the seniors, here's to you- Brett, Casey, and C.J.- some memories of mine over the last four years. Good luck in wherever soccer takes you.
• Jimmy Stark hitting Coach Dean in the head with the ball at practice.
• Kevin Forest wandering the Ave on his first day looking for the meeting.
• Beating UCLA as freshmen under the lights at Husky Field.
• Danny Waltman getting his driving privileges revoked indefinitely for taking off early in Portland.
• Doing the team's laundry in England.
• Naked Olympics in the showers.
• Monday Nights.
• Our freshmen skits.
• Seeing J-Lo in the Beverly Hills Hilton.
• Winter weights with Pete (specifically backwards bear crawls up the stadium stairs).
• The freshmen forgetting ALL of the gear this year on our California trip.
• Leslie and the girl's brownie sundaes.
• Locker room dance parties.
• Speedo leveling Wiesner during the one time he was allowed to play with us.
I'm sure I'll think of more later. Although we fell short of our goals I want everyone to know I truly had an awesome time my senior year. So for all the returners: Good luck next year. I'll always be rooting for you. Thanks again, for all your hard work.
And thank you readers of the 2004 Husky Diary. I only wish I could have written more for you.
Final Quote:
I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news but she just smiled and turned away, I went down to the sacred store where I'd heard the music years before but the man there said the music wouldn't play and in the streets the children screamed, the lovers cried, and the poets dreamed but not a word was spoken, the church bells all were broken and the three men I admire most, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, they caught the last train for the coast, the day, the music, died.
- Don McLean- American Pie
