What type of person are you?
Are you a half-empty, half-full, or neither?
Are you a person who looks at the cards they are dealt, and folds at the first sign of trouble?
Or, do you take those cards, play off them, and out-smart the other people on the table?
It's a fairly simple question, but one that may take a long time to gain enough confidence in deciding your one or the other.
I can tell you, this is one thing I have learned. I have accepted my fate as one of those people who are never satisfied with what they have set in front of them. This is a bad thing, and a good thing, depending on which side of the road your looking at it.
For as long as I can remember, I really dont remember there being a time where something was handed to me, or something was in my grasp, or mine to lose.
Everything I have ever had, received, or been given to me, I have earned in one way or another. In anything, I always seemed to have to work harder than most people to do, or get what I wanted. This was especially evident in baseball. My height was a disadvantage to me, but that was just one card in a whole hand I was dealt. I have always been a person who understood and respected my strengths and weaknesses. I didnt focus on my weaknesses or my disadvantages, nor did I mistake them as limits. They were more of the lines I must use to mark my way through things. I knew I wasn't a good at bat in the line up, I just never had the talent to hit a baseball out of the park, but that doesn't me I couldnt be of value. I, instead, developed a talent most people would over look, but could be a key to any victory at any time.
I could bunt like the best of them.
Not much of a heroic act, but it can make or break some games. I knew, when and if there was a moment within the season, when I could turn a weakness of mine into a strength, it would be to bunt to move a runner into scoring position.
It's all about manipulating your weaknesses.
I also knew my superior talents, which were out in the field. I knew no one could beat me defensively (something I can totally pin on my father for drilling me with ground balls and fly balls every afternoon in the summer). My height being a disadvantage for me, it didnt stop me from making some remarkable plays that I still remember.
When I got into college, I knew I wanted to go to Tech, but my problem wasn't getting in, it was getting away. Getting away from what I had built with Brookshire's (a very nice, comfortable job), my place at home, and just down right being lazy, kept me from going.
I decided I'd transfer the following year, which didnt happen. (Surprise)
I then decided, I would in fact have to make myself move, to focus in on my goal. Which I did in 2008.
Although, by now following the trend, you can see, things didn't go as planned.
I didnt get in, my grades kept me from getting in.
So, I went to juinor college and tried again. Still, I didnt get in.
By the third time I had but given up. And there, I can thank God for Wesley Cristin Polk.
I can honestly say, I would not be at Tech right now, nor would I be in Lubbock, had it not been for her encouragement.
I would be back home, at my mother's house, wondering what might have been.
Instead, I am contemplating Law school, Filing my intent to Graduate and planning financially to pay for a Texas Tech ring, one thing that had only been a dream until recently. I cant tell you, how movie like these last 3 years of my life have been like. Scripted right out of some hollywood drama of a guy always conquering the things thrown out in front of him.

And if this is how the rest of my life is like, I cant tell you how excited I am for it.

I believe we are all given things, some people are given bad situations, some are always given good situation. But how you act or how driven you are to, not change, but play the cards that are dealt your way to get what you want, or to just even the playing field.

I have learned from experiences early in my life to know how to lay the cards dealt my way. I also am blessed (thanks to my mother and father) with the work ethic to do and learn even more of how to make things fall my way, even when the tree is being cut on the other side. (Thanks for the sayin' Grandma Genie).

For the love and encouragement and all the endless sacrifices made, I have to give a huge thanks to my mother and father. There is not a day that goes by, that I am not feeling the sacrifices you have made for me. I love ya'll and I am in debt to you beyond belief. I can only hope that when I have a kid, I am able to give him half of everything you gave me. And I am sorry it's taken this long for me to find out, how blessed I was. This journey has shown me nothing more than how proud I am of where I came from. And no matter where I may go, or what successes I may have, I will always have those values you have instilled in me.

For even more encouragement and being one solid-ass rock by my side, I am also in debt, forever, to Wesley Cristin Polk. Through all our ups and downs, which I can say I wouldn't change, you have always been there. And Im sorry it's taken this long for me to finally realize, but you and I make a damn good team. I love you, and I thank God every day I get up, he gave me you. You are a remarkable person, and I'm just happy you chose me.

Kylie, if your reading this, and thinking, 'where's my shout out?'. Dont you worry, child. You have your own post dedicated to the sister, I almost didnt have.