I went to high school during a time when PE class was every day. I hated gym, it was my least favorite subject. Actually, it was one of the only classes I have ever failed! When you’re a 15 year old girl – gym is not the number one thing on your to do list. When you’re the chubby, tormented, nerd of the class, gym is something that you come to dread.
Volleyball was a particularly painful section. No matter what I did, no matter which technique I attempted to employ, no matter how hard I tried, I just could not serve the ball. Of course this made me the target of many snickers and eye rolls, but even worse, it made me a non-factor to the class playing the game, which weighed heavily on the fact that I already felt like a non factor in life. I couldn’t wait for those few weeks to be over.
One day, I went to my spot to serve the ball, and wonder of wonders it sailed over the net! Because I had failed serving the ball so many times before – the people on the other side were not expecting it, so I scored a point! I was so incredibly happy in that moment, I actually pumped my fist. That day, miss non-factor scored a point and became a factor.
What I felt in that moment was something I’d never really felt before – Victory, victory that had nothing to do with a book.
I don’t remember if I was ever able to serve the ball again, but I can tell you this – those people on the other team – they kept their eyes open, they didn’t sleep on me again!
I believe that even small victories can make big differences
When a book that I was reading suggested that I recall one of the happiest moments in my life, I sat down and thought about run of the mill happy moments – graduation, weddings, first sale of something I wrote etc, and then it was as if this memory tapped me on the shoulder and said “Hey, remember me?”, that is when this essay tumbled forth. It is actually not a situation that I think of often, but it definitely one of the defining moments in my life. It was then I learned the value of never giving up.
What was your unconventional moment of sheer delight?
Days of MEaning 
I love how you write about how 15 year old girls and gym class aren’t a match made in heaven. Sometimes I still have nightmares about the stinky gym uniforms and the extremely long 45 minute class each day filled with just plain awkwardness…and I was an athlete! High school gym classes are just lame, plain and simple. Spoken as a true English teacher, huh? 🙂
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I don’t have an athletic bone in my body unfortunately, I have to tell you that I’m grateful that even though you were an athlete, you too think 45 minute gym class is a little bit much! From one English teacher to another!
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Have you seen Nicole’s work on 31 Days? She wrote today along a similar topic of a memory that came to her as she was re-purposing a dress.
http://beautiful-objects.com/2014/10/21/31-days-color-day-20-rust-and-warm-fuzzy-memories/
I love how you reminded us that memories often come unbidden to tap us on the shoulder. It was a great comment and wonderful reminder.
Nancy
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Thank you for the suggestion Nancy! It was a lovely post, I remember some of the things she too remembered!
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. I love introducing my blogging friends to each other. There are so many great things out there and we can’t see it all ourselves.
What a hoot though that you both posted on a similar topic within days of each other! Different viewpoints, but same idea.
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