Running On Empty, Dad & I rebuild My Strength
After two weeks in Hospital and Shingles, I needed something... Issue #38
ifOnlyi…acted like a grown teenager should rather than a loose, free-spirited idiot. I may not have ever gone down the road of stupidity.
My Senior school year began with a significant challenge. I was not just weak, but very weak, after a prolonged battle with Shingles. Two of those weeks were spent in the U.C.L.A hospital. But I was determined to overcome this setback and make the most of my senior year.
Dad had a plan!
At a little over 17, and with my Dad At 54, he looked at me and said, "Together, we will rebuild you back to your strength, like the days you used to bike 28 miles to work and play tennis, baseball, etc." That day, I could barely hold a tennis ball. But his words filled me with hope and determination.
So here was the plan: Run, not just any run, but the PV High School stairs. These were brutal. Straight up, and as you can see, the view down to the football field was from high. We started slow and ended with 30 ups and downs.
Dad ran my butt off, and so did he, too, to be fair. He cranked it big time and would not let this weak MOFO beat him. And I did not.
Weeks of pre-dawn runs, before the school day even began, took a toll on me. I was exhausted before the first bell even rang.
I would go back home, shower, and smoke some pot. Yes, I started pot before school. My first class was public speaking; it was the only class in which I got an A that year—the only one. I think I had some help.
As a senior in High School, we felt a sense of privilege. Everyone looked up to us, as if we were the chosen ones. Graduating that year was a tantalizing prospect, just nine months away and everyone was eagerly counting down the days.
I decided to become as fit as I could. I was not allowed to lift weights, so I was told because of my tennis dreams. The coach told me to do only isometrics, no bulk building.
So that’s what I did. My Senior year had started, and it was about to get overwhelming…..
….ifOnlyi…. short stories are published chronologically and follow my life growing up in California from 4 years old. If you’ve just found me, the stories will come together when you start reading from….Issue #1