Life can change in an instant. Unfortunately, until it happens to you, you often don’t realize it or understand it. I’m speaking from experience and writing this column hoping that it doesn’t happen to you.
Three years ago, I was a senior in high school with the whole world ahead of me. I was the Sports Editor of our school paper, had good grades and couldn’t wait to start my life at UT. All of that changed one January night after a routine basketball practice.
I had the first nose bleed I’ve ever had in my life that night. An even worse one followed the next day, with blood coming out like a slow drip from the faucet. I was later diagnosed with a JNA (Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma). In layman’s terms, I had a very rare, fibrous tumor growing in my head that attached itself to my maxillary artery in my throat, causing the massive nose bleed. Had I been born 40 years earlier, I’d probably be dead right now.
Thanks to God, my family and the miracles of modern medicine, I survived. I had numerous MRI, was poked with a needle countless times for fluids and medication, lost a substantial amount of blood and was about 20 pounds lighter after surgery.
That entire experience enlightened me in more ways than I could ever put into words, but two very important things stuck with me as a result of that tumor. The first was that there is some sort of higher power that loves me more than I’ll ever know and that love will never fade. Second, life waits for no one-- It can and will change at any moment.
Everyone has a vice. Mine is and always has been worrying. I believe my tumor was a blessing in disguise because I wasn’t truly happy or at peace with myself before it. While I was the same person back then as I am today, I was not nearly as happy. For the last three years, I’ve learned to savor the moment, make the most of everyday and realize what’s truly important. For the first time in my life, I’ve felt truly alive.
Whether or not you’re one of the most recognizable people in sports or just another college athlete with aspirations of making it big, we’re all equal. However, in sports today, ego reigns supreme.
The prime-time sports networks often market certain players (or stars, as they call them) before a big game, not teams. The Internet has given the public an unprecedented amount of access to athletes through sites like Facebook and Twitter. With all that attention from the media and the fans, it’s easy to see why athletes get inflated egos and start to believe they’re invincible. If they only knew how quickly it could change, maybe they would act differently in certain situations.
My goal in writing this is not to point fingers or judge anyone; rather, it is to help you realize that life truly is a gift.
Most athletes get free educations because of their talents, which gives them the opportunity to leave college with no debt or student loans to pay back well into their years like many of their fellow classmates.
Additionally, if they’re good enough to reach the professional ranks, many of them start out making six figures to play a game for a living. Police officers, nurses and firefighters save lives on a daily basis while putting their own health at stake for a fraction of that amount.
Recent events in the sports world, namely those concerning Michael Vick, Adam “Pacman” Jones and Donté Stallworth, are proof that players out there think that they’re the exception. They think bad things won’t happen to them because they are too smart, good and valuable.
No matter how talented you are at your craft, there is someone out there who is just as good as you or better, so always work hard and stay humble. It’s up to athletes these days to truly appreciate what they have and make the most of their talent while they have it, or to risk it stubbornly because of poor judgment. Remember, pride comes just before the fall.
I hope that it doesn’t take a traumatic, life-changing event like mine or the aforementioned athletes to help you realize just how precious life is, how lucky you are to have what you have and how quickly it can all change. Make the most of every day and savor the moment.
All the athletes out there should listen to one of the most iconic figures in American history, Theodore Roosevelt:
“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
— Mike Bauman is the Assistant Sports Editor and a senior majoring in communication.
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