Wrong Way: My Second Chance

There always are two sides to a story; there is one side that is told to the world, then a side where the real information and even the story lies. The story of Roy Reigals will always be remembered as “Wrong Way Reigals”. The life of Roy Reigals is rarely mentioned when Reigals is talked about. There was a page in my life where I was headed in the wrong direction. This page doesn’t define my entire life just as Roy Reigals wrong way run doesn’t tell the story of his life in even the smallest amount.

It was January 1, 1929 Georgia Tech was playing Cal in the Rose Bowl (the largest game of the year). In the second quarter the score was tied at 0-0. Roy Reigals who played for Cal picked up Georgia techs fumble and started running. He started running in the wrong direction. Just before his own goal line Reigals was tackled by his own teammate just before the goal line. This mistake cost Cal a safety worth 2 points. During half time the head coach for Cal assured Reigals that there was still another half to play. Cal went on to lose by 2. Most men would be forever ashamed of such a mistake so much that they would define their entire life by one small moment, one small mistake. Reigals wasn’t like most men. He got up and played the second half of the game. The rest of Reigals story was spent working hard as an honorable man. Years after Reigals wrong way run he wrote a letter to a man who made the same mistake as he did years before. Reigals had a career after college I teaching and business. He even taught back at Cal at one point in life.

For many young teenagers middle school is a time of growth and the start of going through puberty. My friends and I became interested in girls as if we had never seen one in person before. I started to learn new words, the kind that my mother would ground me for saying. Just like learning new words was easy, making new friends was even easier though it wasn’t for me. The friends I had from grade school all wanted to be “cool”. This was very confusing for me, I just wanted to be the same person I have always been. My once friends became people I once knew. Because they once knew me too that gave them way to make fun of me. As I tried to make new friends I had to deal with the “cool” kids in school making fun of me in front of those I wanted to be friends with. I became as loonier than I had been in my life. This forced me to become someone that isn’t me just to make friends. I would go to school and act out just to try and be “cool” then go home with tears in my eyes for not having a single friend. I found myself in more trouble than a young boy should get himself into. Anything from acting out in class and cussing, to getting in fights with anyone who made fun of me. After not too long I became that one kid. The kid in class that obviously didn’t have friends but was always trying to get some sort of attention. The worst year of the three was 7th grade. Not only had I made a name for myself, I went through the saddest year of my life. A couple years before my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. My 7th grade year things took a turn. My mother took weeks of time off of work for hospital visits and operations. I would often wake up note knowing how my mother was doing or when I would see her again. To make things worse I had to go to school where I wasn’t given a break from the real life.

My parents watched me go the wrong way for three years. They could see how I have hurt and knew I needed a change. For high school my parents sent me to a privet Christian school. At first I was very hesitant to go to a new school. I felt like I would have to make new friends and I would have to go through everything all over again. My mother sat me down on the side of her bed and told me something that helped change my life. She told me that I will finally get the break and the new beginning I have been searching for. That entire summer I would spend my days dreaming of what will be like. I had never been happier to have such a drastic change in my life. I remember the first day like it was my wedding day. I had never been surrounded by so many supportive and welcoming strangers ever in my entire life. That day I met my best friend whom I will be friends with for the rest of my life. Now I have everything I could ever want. I was given a chance and I took advantage of it. Never in my life have I liked to play basketball but I tried out for basketball that year and fell in love. I played three years of basketball, that is something I would have never quested would happen. I found a new understanding of who God is and the wonderful power he has.

My life wouldn’t be the same without troubles. I believe that everything I have gone through has helped shape who I am today. I became a strong man from being made fun of and having to stand up for myself at a young age. My own struggles have shown me how the heart works and to have sympathy for others. Most importantly I learned that one moment in time does not define my life. It’s up to me to write my story no matter what comes my way I will always be in control.