Sunday, April 28, 2013

"All You Need Is One..."



       "There are 6,470,818,671 people in the world, six billion souls and sometimes all you need is one."-Peyton Sawyer

                  A couple weeks ago, I explained how I received a text message showing "how do the boys get so dang lucky." Well, I truly told the truth of what I had believed for the longest time. But, I never said who I had received that message from. I have many people in my life that have impacted my life and made my high school years the most memorable years of my life. Yet, there still happens to be the one that continues to guide me through the right path. This man happened to be my P.E. teacher, coach, and neighbor. Mr. Greg (Leslie) Perkins. 
                   When I was 8,a year of my parents divorce had already taken place. I took my dog out for a walk. Of course, my dog was a tiny mutt and tried to act tough around the pure breed big dogs. It was one morning I took smokey out for a walk. I past, the hospital looking house where dogs came running after my little dog and I. Then this mysterious looking man came to retrieve his own dogs so they wouldn't eat my dog.  This is the first time we had ever crossed paths without ever realizing it. 
                    Eighth grade came around and I found my love for basketball. But, as always an ending of a chapter ends. Eighth grade basketball ended which meant time for the "big league."I went to the high school girls open gym towards the end of eighth grade year. Won't lie they were twice the size of me which made me afraid of them. I arrived and yet the coach greeted me nicely and he let me shoot around. I remember him talking to the soon to be seniors that I was "Victor Paz" little sister. From that moment on the never ending memories and bond began to form. 
                   Till this day I really don't care what anyone thinks. As in being a "teachers pet","suck up", or even a "snitch." In reality I just know who to keep in my life that will be there until the end by guiding, listening, and helping me become a better person. Which is what he has done over the course of time. 
                  When the world suddenly became dark. He was always there to guide me back to the light  . Where I learned the sun was going to rise again in the morning. I remember the first time he really knew how I was. My sophomore year, I had my premature niece living with us and things were pretty rough. He picked me up for school one Winter morning when it was cold. When my mother had to stay in the hospital with my niece and cousin. When I had gotten in the biggest fight with my parents they were talking to me about getting "help" for my behavior at home. Yet, they didn't really know me for they never had taken the chance. I wouldn't have the bond with my mother today if I hadn't found him in the team room one afternoon and taught me how to really forgive people.  I had fallen out of love for basketball I had the word "quitting" in my mind. Well, that also changed with some advice. 
              I wouldn't have been the type of basketball player in the long run if it wasn't him and his negative comments he doesn't remember. But yet, it's not just the advice and motivation I will miss throughout time. It's also the memories that I will only have to look back to in a long run. Words can't really explain my gratitude and how truly blessed I am for this second fatherly figure. Having to put up with me for four years takes a lot of hair out of you and will eventually make you go bald. But, it's that fact that he became the one soul out of 6 billion people well at least until this point.