It was another Saturday evening for me and my family. It also meant it was another Saturday evening for me and my family to play some good old basketball.
While waiting for the game to start, I saw a kid probably half my size (I'm around 5 feet and 8 inches tall, so the kid's around 3 feet tall I think) playing basketball in the opposite court. At first, I didn't take notice of the kid too much, but when I ended up looking at him for a longer period of time, I noticed something about the kid that actually broke my heart. He was playing basketball with only one arm. No, he wasn't doing it on purpose, he actually HAD to do it. In short, he was missing an arm, his right arm to be precise.
I started to observe the kid's movements even more as he continued to play. He seemed comfortable dribbling the basketball, and he didn't seem fazed even though there was a bigger defender in front of him. It seemed as if he was born to dribble a basketball. Eventually, his defender left, and the floor was his to take a shot. He drove from his weak side, shot the ball with ease despite his disability, and swoosh. After he shot the ball, he proudly exclaimed to one of the elders watching in the sidelines; "One handed 'o!" That put quite a smile to my face.
The game started, and I was placed as a sub, since we needed more speed for our line up at that time (I'm not exactly the fastest of players). The kid would watch our game, and it seemed as if he was having a grand time doing so. I started to focus my attention to the game more, just like the kid. Finally, with the game tied at 16 all, I got into the game.
I'd get the ball and hit a fade away from my weak side. We got the lead. Our opponents took advantage of our lack of athleticism though, as they used just that to grab the lead from us. I'd hit another jump shot from the left elbow, but their athleticism was just too much for our team to handle. We'd lose our first game by 4 points.
We had another game to finally determine who would pay the lights for the court that we reserved. We jumped to an 8 point lead early in the game. The kid was still there, patiently waiting to play in the court. During one inbound play, I noticed the kid staring at us guys in the playing court. His facial expression was priceless. It seemed as if he was watching James Yap from court side. He watched us, no name players who just play the game just because we love it so much, with much amazement. It was a touching moment.
The game continued, and the opposing team made a run. We were starting to get frustrated. I myself, was starting to get frustrated. I wasn't getting the touches that I wanted in the post, and when I had a chance to shoot the ball, I'd miss it. I wanted to stop the run by hitting the jump shots that I'd usually hit, but I couldn't. It was incredibly frustrating. We'd lose by 3 points, and we had to pay for the lights.
We would all go home frustrated. It was our 6th straight loss against those same group of guys, and they weren't playing with their best player, who happens to be quite the shooter. We weren't complete, but we didn't have any excuses either way. Personally, I was incredibly frustrated. I wanted to get my touches but I didn't. I wanted my shots to go in, but they didn't. I was just in a horrible horrible mood.
While going home, I decided to reflect about my performance and attitude. Obviously, I wanted to improve on a number of facets in my game so that my team mates can trust me with the ball more so that I can create my shots even better. While going through my little reflection process, I remembered the kid I saw earlier. I remembered how he effortlessly dribbled the ball with his only hand, and how he got that floater in despite his small stature. Then, I looked at myself. I thought that I should have been ashamed.
I should have been ashamed that I'm complaining about my lack of touches. I should have been ashamed that I was that down concerning my game. In short, I should have been ashamed that my attitude towards the game was like that.
I am blessed. I am blessed to have a complete body. I have two arms, two legs, and I haven't had any major accident in my life. I have a loving family, and friends to support me. I have a loving angel in Camille. I have the resources to be able to handily play the sport that I love. The sport that millions of Filipinos love playing on their courts, no matter how hard it may be to play for them.
Many of us, basketball fans or not, are victims of this. Many of us complain about how our parents didn't give us the gift that we wanted for Christmas. A number of us complain that we don't have certain material things, such as cellphones, clothes and other whatnot. A number of us complain about how certain people in our life can't do certain stuff for us. In short, a number of us do not appreciate.
Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you are very much a blessed individual. You have the ability to access information like this from the internet with much ease. Millions of other people don't even have the access to electricity, books, and more importantly food and water.
To whoever is reading this blog, look around you. Look at how there are kids in the streets begging for food. Look at how there are families living just under national bridges. Look at how kids have to use different types of resources just so that they can play basketball.
Now look at you. Look at your whole body. Look at your family. Look at the electronic gadget that you are using right now. Look at your home. All of those are blessings, blessings that God could have given to some other person, but no. He decided to give it to you. So give thanks, and utilize the God given gifts that you have with you to their full potential. Use them not only for your own well being, but also for the well being of others.
If you don't use them, who will? Be like the kid I talked about; smiling, thankful for what God has given him and using it to the best of his ability, because in the end, gifts will just be gifts if we don't use them to the best of our ability.
To those wondering why I didn't take a picture of the kid I talked about, I decided not to out of respect to the kid, and his family. I would've done so if I had the blessing from him and from his family, but I don't really have the authority and credentials to do so. To the kid, God bless you and continue hooping.
I should have been ashamed that I'm complaining about my lack of touches. I should have been ashamed that I was that down concerning my game. In short, I should have been ashamed that my attitude towards the game was like that.
I am blessed. I am blessed to have a complete body. I have two arms, two legs, and I haven't had any major accident in my life. I have a loving family, and friends to support me. I have a loving angel in Camille. I have the resources to be able to handily play the sport that I love. The sport that millions of Filipinos love playing on their courts, no matter how hard it may be to play for them.
Many of us, basketball fans or not, are victims of this. Many of us complain about how our parents didn't give us the gift that we wanted for Christmas. A number of us complain that we don't have certain material things, such as cellphones, clothes and other whatnot. A number of us complain about how certain people in our life can't do certain stuff for us. In short, a number of us do not appreciate.
Chances are, if you are reading this blog, you are very much a blessed individual. You have the ability to access information like this from the internet with much ease. Millions of other people don't even have the access to electricity, books, and more importantly food and water.
To whoever is reading this blog, look around you. Look at how there are kids in the streets begging for food. Look at how there are families living just under national bridges. Look at how kids have to use different types of resources just so that they can play basketball.
Now look at you. Look at your whole body. Look at your family. Look at the electronic gadget that you are using right now. Look at your home. All of those are blessings, blessings that God could have given to some other person, but no. He decided to give it to you. So give thanks, and utilize the God given gifts that you have with you to their full potential. Use them not only for your own well being, but also for the well being of others.
If you don't use them, who will? Be like the kid I talked about; smiling, thankful for what God has given him and using it to the best of his ability, because in the end, gifts will just be gifts if we don't use them to the best of our ability.
To those wondering why I didn't take a picture of the kid I talked about, I decided not to out of respect to the kid, and his family. I would've done so if I had the blessing from him and from his family, but I don't really have the authority and credentials to do so. To the kid, God bless you and continue hooping.
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