Comments on: Misery

By: Kayla Weaver

Kayla Weaver — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 01:11:55 +0000

I missed this post before somehow. I know the feeling exactly. And I live in Hayward with those cool people. I hardly ever go to a volleyball game. When I haven’t forgotten about the Fri night game I don’t feel like going to the bother of going to it. :-)

By: Take Your Courage in Your Hands - Properties of Light

Take Your Courage in Your Hands - Properties of Light — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 00:58:46 +0000

[…] I wasn’t. I’d fumbled the ball, been rainbowed, or been otherwise humiliated more times than I cared to remember. You can read about one of my early experiences here. […]

By: KLM

KLM — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 20:38:23 +0000

I love your story! It’s great that you could ‘meet’ Wendell again through this! :)
I enjoy vball, but at the same time dread it! Thankfully now I laugh at all my mess-ups instead of feeling inferior (and make nasty/wise comments to myself about those wonderful players and their great moves, how they must play too much, and not work enough! :P –No offense to the good players, just makes me feel better! ;) )

By: lucindaj

lucindaj — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 03:23:39 +0000

In reply to Tiana. :) You surprise me, Tiana. Always so calm and collected, I thought. Nice to know I'm not the only one who feels like me.

By: Tiana

Tiana — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 02:08:42 +0000

Wow! How con you describe me (Besides the glasses) so perfectly when I’ve tried my hardest not to let anybosy see that side of me!!!!! haha!

By: lucindaj

lucindaj — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 07:37:22 +0000

In reply to Gina. So great to hear that there are more like me out there than I ever suspected. Although I never consulted an encyclopedia. What a brilliant idea! Wish I'd a thought of it.

By: lucindaj

lucindaj — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 07:35:05 +0000

In reply to Wendell Martin.

Wow, what a great parallel. You really made my little volleyball story into a great analogy of life in general. Don’t worry, you haven’t at all deflated my memory; you’ve added to it. I would say we are all of us average–but none of us quite. Glad I could make your day. Thanks for helping out mine way back then.

By: Wendell Martin

Wendell Martin — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 00:20:18 +0000

Luci,
I received a great e-mail from my wife yesterday with the subject line “you’re awesome” and a link to your blog. Definitely a good way to make my day. I debated for a bit in replying to this because sometimes our memories are better left alone in their grandeur. By replying I will deflate your memory since you will realize that there is just an average human behind it. I always enjoyed volleyball but I know the feeling. In life there are times when a decision hangs in the air above me just like the ball you described. After batting blindly in the direction I think I should go, I realize I missed and ruined a relationship or squandered an opportunity. Blinded by fear, pain or self-doubt I feel like a failure. The next time a failure hits me in the face like an errant volleyball, the next time I lose my vision in defeat, I’ll read this post. It may help me pick up my glasses and move on, realizing that bad at volleyball does not mean bad at life. Thank you for the ego boost.

Wendell – formerly from Hayward WI. now from Lancaster PA.

By: Aurelia

Aurelia — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 22:23:57 +0000

I remember coming down to Ladysmith one time to play volleyball. I wonder if it was the same night. While I loved to play volleyball, I did not care to play with people I didn’t know. I would say you were quite brave to have given it your best shot.

By: Gina

Gina — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:39:13 +0000

This brought back a whole rush of emotions from my first youth meetings. Oh, the misery.

I remember going home, pulling out the encyclopedia, and reading about volleyball. (Does that prove my bookworm status?) If I couldn’t hit the ball, I could at least have a head knowledge of the rules of the game. When I admitted this to my cousin, who was as athletic as I was not, and actually played on a “real” volleyball team, she laughed. But I needed the security of knowing something about this crazy time waster.

I was blessed to have a youth group that mostly encouraged and eventually I could hold my own spot without messing up too badly. Now, I almost miss those volleyball days. Almost. Definently NOT the drama of “will I be on his team?”