On Origins…

What an amazing weekend it has been!

On Friday I finally got my Aggie ring! To see all my friends and family around me and to have my mother place the ring on my finger was the best moment of my entire life! I felt love and pride coming from all directions!

I dunked my ring the next day — I was dunking along with four of my friends. My brother made me a custom pitcher with my name and “Ring Dunk 2018” etched into the glass — it’s a freakin’ awesome gift and I have it proudly displayed in my bedroom now. Some of my visiting friends placed bets on who they thought would finish their pitcher first; Jaskaran drew my name from a cup and I finished first — it took me 42 seconds! Jask won $50. With a cool keg of Lone Star beer, we all partied and I stayed up ’til 6 AM. I wasn’t hung over on Sunday, luckily. It was quite a fun night.

Regarding origins…

I always like to look at this old picture of myself. The year must have been 2000 or so, I’m not sure. So I was around five years old. I like looking at this picture because it looks like I have a lot of hope and wonder in my eyes… Just what was I gazing at? Into?

Certainly not the future. I could not have predicted what the next eighteen years of my life would hold for me. I mean, just that next year my parents would divorce. So, definitely, a lot of lows. But all the glory I’ve got these past few days, well, it’s been worth it.

I often think of just what I would say to my five year old self. Perhaps Zyzz’s, one of my favorite bodybuilders from my youth, catchphrase:

We’re all gonna make it, brah

I would also repeat something that my friend Melanie wrote to me.

Don’t let your mistakes hold you back from greatness.

I’ve made so many mistakes. I think I need those words, Melanie’s words, tattooed on me.

I am very much happy to be alive right now.

Still not sure about my future, but as I said earlier, I will go into that vanishing point without fear. With lots of hope, actually–hope and excitement. It’ll be an adventure.

(I forgot to talk about the dimples… I’ve got dimples and it’s been on my face for at least 18 years, as the old photo shows. Here’s to another 18 years full of smiles and dimples!)