Winning
A week ago, I was privileged to be in attendance as my high school's basketball team played in the state basketball championship for the second consecutive year.
And for the second year in a row, I watched in absolute euphoria as we won the championship again, going back to back for our first time since the 1989-1990 seasons.
What a time.
As chants of "Back to back" rang out in the arena, I couldn't stop thinking about how great life was. I was on cloud nine, so happy that I got to take part in such a celebration. I kept thinking about how great it was that I go to school with so many incredible people, and that the memories I'm making during senior year are ones that make me the happiest person.
I know that there are a lot of people who hate high school, who can't stand the people they go to school with, hate the stress that comes from everything, and dislike the drama that comes naturally when you throw a bunch of teenagers together. And I get that not every single detail of high school is entirely desirable. But honestly, I feel so bad for these people.
High school is a crazy time. Although I hope these aren't necessarily the BEST days of my life, I've genuinely enjoyed high school. I've had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends and done a lot of crazy things, and I'm grateful for every single moment I've had thus far.
In the week since the game, I can stop thinking about something else:
I'm an incredibly lucky guy.
I'm lucky that I was born at the time that I was so I could know the people that I do. I'm lucky that two years ago my parents decided to move to a new house and consequently I chose to transfer to a new school. I'm lucky that I've been having so much fun during these past two years.
And for the second year in a row, I watched in absolute euphoria as we won the championship again, going back to back for our first time since the 1989-1990 seasons.
What a time.
As chants of "Back to back" rang out in the arena, I couldn't stop thinking about how great life was. I was on cloud nine, so happy that I got to take part in such a celebration. I kept thinking about how great it was that I go to school with so many incredible people, and that the memories I'm making during senior year are ones that make me the happiest person.
I know that there are a lot of people who hate high school, who can't stand the people they go to school with, hate the stress that comes from everything, and dislike the drama that comes naturally when you throw a bunch of teenagers together. And I get that not every single detail of high school is entirely desirable. But honestly, I feel so bad for these people.
High school is a crazy time. Although I hope these aren't necessarily the BEST days of my life, I've genuinely enjoyed high school. I've had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends and done a lot of crazy things, and I'm grateful for every single moment I've had thus far.
In the week since the game, I can stop thinking about something else:
I'm an incredibly lucky guy.
I'm lucky that I was born at the time that I was so I could know the people that I do. I'm lucky that two years ago my parents decided to move to a new house and consequently I chose to transfer to a new school. I'm lucky that I've been having so much fun during these past two years.
But most of all, I'm so lucky to be a Bingham Miner.
Bingham High School is definitely an incredibly special school. Its history is long and its legacy is great, and it amazes me that I get to count myself among the special people who have walked these halls. I don't compare to any of these people, but being included in their same category as Miners is a beautiful privilege I'm grateful to hold.
The funny part is that I didn't start as a Miner, and I had no idea that I would ever go to Bingham. I was raised as a West Jordan Jaguar, and the year I spent at WJ will always be special and important and valuable to me. I mean no disrespect to WJ by this post, because it's also a wonderful school and contains so many people I love dearly.
But if I got to go back and had to decide again whether to transfer to Bingham or to stay at West Jordan, I would make the same choice every single time.
When it comes down to it, I came to Bingham for one reason: I felt destined to change somebody's life at this school. I didn't know who it was and I didn't know how I would find them, but I jumped in and hoped that this fate I felt destined to find was real.
But the life that changed when I transferred to Bingham wasn't somebody else's.
It was mine.
The thing is, the times I've had at Bingham have not only been a lot of fun, but they've shaped me into who I am. I'm happy for the way that things have gone and I'm grateful that I made the choice that I did.
At Bingham, you could say that winning is part of the norm. The Miners fight hard and will ALWAYS be a tough competitor, full of heart and pride no matter what the opponent looks like. In each competition, Bingham not only wants to win but has the confidence and the belief that they can.
And I've discovered that simply being a Miner is a win in itself.
A few months ago, I wrote the following in a post after Bingham won the state football championship, and it seems even more applicable now than it did then:
"I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to attend Bingham High School, and so happy that I get to make so many amazing memories with my fellow Miners. I am blessed to be the president of the greatest senior class ever, and I can't wait to see where the rest of my senior year takes me. Whether there are more championship trophies involved or not, I will know one thing for certain:
The life I have been given makes me a winner by default. And I am so grateful for that."
There are eighty-two days until graduation, and I can't wait to make every single one of them count. I can't waste a second.
It's a great day to be a Miner.
