Life lessons from the race you were destined to have

I always consider myself to be someone who is far more in tune with the energies the world gives off than the average person. Sometimes when I actually say this out loud, people look at me funny and wonder if I'm serious. No, I didn't smoke my breakfast and this is not some new age Bellingham hippie talk -- I truly believe it. Maybe it's the fact that I spend way too much time by myself in front of a computer monitor surrounded by images I've created that I hope can impact other's lives in some way. Or just maybe there's a little truth to it.

So as I stood at the 1A Tri-District track & field meet last Saturday at King's High School, I found myself on the football field between two distraught teenage girls. One was huddled behind a fence being consoled by her teammates as she sobbed uncontrollably, while the other lay sprawled out on the football field a few yards from me with tears in her eyes. I'm not going to claim to know exactly what happened, but from my recollection, there was a fall between some front runners in the final 400 meters of the mile. I had my back to the race and turned for just a second to catch the moment out of my periphery.

I finished taking photos of finishers at the finish line and after the race, I walked over to the coaches and asked what happened. His response was silence. Sometimes I forget that these young athletes have been working all season toward a goal. Dreaming of earning only a few spots from each race to make it to that state meet in Tacoma. And these coaches are spearheading those dreams. They're carefully cultivating goals within these athletes week after week. They're monitoring how many miles they run, their diet, their health, their mental awareness. And then, in the blink of an eye, suddenly those dreams are dashed by a fall that leaves athletes emotionally spent and huddled sobbing uncontrollably in the arms of their teammates behind a chain link fence. So, ya, silence is undoubtedly the appropriate answer.

Looking back on it now, I don't blame the coach for his silence. It was a question I probably shouldn't have asked at that moment. It was a question he didn't have answers for. Why did the race turn out that way? Well, as long as we're waxing philosophically here, let me say that I also believe in destiny. You know, that everything happens for a reason and when it does, that is the path in life you were destined to take. So I'm gonna say this to those young ladies who were giving off such heavy energy that it almost drove me to tears last Saturday -- that was the race you were destined to have.

Track and field is a great sport. It can teach you about dedication, commitment and living healthy. These are life lessons you can take with you forever. Last Saturday we learned that it can also teach you a little something about adversity and tragedy.Consider that as you decide how to bounce back from such a heartbreaking loss. Sure these are lessons we all would rather not deal with, but life has a way of teaching us lessons when we least expect it. A fall is just a fall, but your ability to get up, deal with that adversity and move forward in life is the lesson last Saturday's race was destined to teach. And it's not just a lesson for the young ladies in that race, it was also taught to every spectator in the stands and now every reader of this blog. Your actions are far-reaching and can impact the lives of many.

Hopefully those coaches also learned a lesson or two from the race. Maybe the answers they're looking for will never appear. But once all the tears have dried and the heartache has faded, know that all the hard work, preparation and sacrifice they made prepared those young athletes for the race they were destined to have and ultimately taught them valuable life lessons. Trust in the energies you give and receive. Know that the path you're on is the right one. Okay, even I can admit it, now it's sounding a little bit new age hippyish. You know what that means? This blog is officially over.

A little advice from Uncle Brian

Last week I was visited by my niece and nephew for a couple days on spring break. I don't get to spend one on one time with them very often, so it was interesting to hear their perspective on the world now that they're young adults. My niece is preparing for college and filled with all the promise you could ask for from a high school senior excited about going off on a new adventure. My nephew is smack dab in the middle of high school and dealing with all the social and academic challenges high school can bring.

After their visits, I realized they're no different from any other teenager one might encounter. They think they know it all and who am I to argue. I thought I was the "cool" uncle, but apparently that doesn't matter when it comes to right and wrong. Let me get on my soap box a second here: What kids need to realize these days is that some of the biggest questions life has to ask don't really have concrete answers. Science can only explain so much and those answers evolve as new discoveries are made on a daily basis. Remaining open to those discoveries can be the difference between ending up a current and innovative thinker or just someone who spews facts they read about this, that and the other.

With teenagers, there's a fine line between conversation and debate, so as I tip-toed that line last week without trying to tick them off too much, I thought I'd reflect for a second here and give my two, or three, cents of advice. After all, that's what I'm good at, isn't it?

The first thing any adolescent should know is that intelligence will only take them so far and fear of the unknown is normal. Anxiety shouldn't stop life, it should be something you forge through on your journey to new discoveries. Red lights should only last seconds and not days. If you weren't a little afraid of what lays ahead, you'd be odd. When the light turns green, keep your foot on the gas and don't look back.

Second, don't ever underestimate the value of life experiences. Others around you who have experienced life can offer knowledge you'll need along the way. Learning to really listen to that knowledge and absorb what you need for your journey is crucial. Obviously, you won't need everything they say, but learning to close your mouth long enough to really listen to what you do need can help you grow. Respecting others' intelligence can allow you valued mentors and friends who can contribute to your growth for a lifetime.

Finally, never let your imagination disappear. The same imagination that I watched my niece and nephew get excited about puppy dogs and baby dolls; and Match Box cars and video games, respectively, can become their greatest asset in life. The ability to use your imagination is what will ultimately set you apart from the competition. Great thinkers continue to challenge their brain and letting that imagination run wild should never be underestimated.

To blog or not to blog...That is A question.

Okay, so I haven't written a blog since last August. In fact, I've only had 58 blog postings all together, but I think they've been pretty good. Last August I blogged about new beginnings and it was a real doosy -- if I don't say so myself. It seems every time spring rolls around people start to think about new beginnings. And here it is now, a couple weeks into spring, and I'm contemplating life again; wondering why I do what I do and what I'm gonna do this spring to keep enough dough in the bank account to keep my life afloat.

Since last August, I've thought about blogging, but don't really see the point of it. Sometimes it's just easier to give up on things. I see more and more people blogging and wonder why they do it. I mean, what do THEY get out of it? I guess I could ask them. I've recently thought about video blogging, but I figure nobody wants to see me lounge around in my hoodie every morning and ramble on incessantly about some topic of the day. Or do you?

Lately I figure that if something I'm doing doesn't bring in money, then it's big a waste of my time. I suppose blogging could be fun if you had a following. Seems like I've been trying to build a following to benefit me for the last decade. So far I have two Facebook fan pages (Brian Kingsberry Photography & BK Photography - Portraits), two web sites (www.menschoice.info & www.bkphotos.info), 2,948 Facebook friends and I still often feel like nobody gives a fuck. Truth is that people are usually only concerned about themselves. I'm guilty of that as well. If you're not reading my blog, then why would I wanna read yours?

Well, maybe this will be my last blog until next spring. And maybe not. I guess you'll all have to wait and see.:)