My Life Story - Part 5

While my mom was recovering from her surgery, I was attempting to graduate high school. I took 2 years off to stay at home and help my family get through a rough patch. So finally I got enrolled in a second chance school for students who have fell behind in their work or have children. I obviously didnt have a child at the moment so that only means that I was behind in my work. About 2 years behind. I was enjoying myself. I made a bunch of new friends and was getting good grades. I started after the New Year so I can start at the beginning of a semester instead of jumping into the middle of one, and I lasted only a month and a half. I was always one of those kids who got it the first time. My freshman year, I learned all the stuff that was taught in high school and after that, it just got very boring. So after about a month and a half of solid boredom, I took off. I didnt drop out, but I just stopped going. After a month, they kicked me out. I got kicked out of a second chance school. Look at me go.March rolled around and baseball season was coming up, and I am a hardcore die-heart Philadelphia Phillies fan, and I wasnt going to miss another season. I stayed home during the 2007 season and missed out on a magical comeback to win the division and I was really bummed. My dad told their shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who knew me on a personal level, that I wasnt able to make it for the 07 season due to my mom being sick. So he took off his batting gloves and tossed them up to my dad to send to me. Gotta love the Philly Love. With the gloves in my hands, I was making it for Opening Day 2008. After some talks with my dad, I was set to fly up and see the greatest baseball team ever play. I landed and I was pumped. I had my camera, skateboard, and the gloves. I was ready for New Jersey and Philadelphia. After being in town for only a week, I managed to catch a day that it was dry. No rain for the first time since I landed. It was March 27th, 2008 and I was going out to skate and work on my video part for my skate team. With nothing holding me back from a double level parking lot gap, and a final shot for my part, I went after it. After about 20 attempts, I started to feel a little stiff in the right knee. Me being the tough crazy jackass I am, I shook it off and went back up for another go at it. I live to regret that decision. I ollied over the curb and I was on my way to sticking the landing. I lost the feel for the landing and I kicked out. I wish I didnt. I landed on my feet, but my right leg was in for a shock. My knee femur and my tibia have shifted, collided, and crushed my ACL ligament into a handful of pieces. I stood up on what I thought was a broken leg and hobbled over to a spot to comfortably sit down and take a breather. I was about a mile away from my dad's house and I wasnt going to a hospital in an ambulance, but my cousin Zack decided differently. He ran inside the high school and called 911. When he came back to tell me he called the ambulance, I got up and walked away from the gap. Now, for those who dont believe me, I swear on my life that this happened. I swear on my life that I almost broke my leg, tore my ACL, and bruised my femur and tibia, then got up and walked away. The ambulance drove on past me on my way home and I ducked into the local pizza parlor to sit and rest. My knee was throbbing. I wasnt going to give up. I got up and made my way out the door and down the street to my cousin's house first to grab my stuff that I had left there. Then I left his house and hobbled on home. When I finally made it home, I sat down and placed a very hot heating pad on my knee, then followed it with some ice. I was in serious pain. I didnt want to move. I knew at that point that my career as over. 10 years of skating and I go down like that. I was depressed. My dad got home from work and I told him what had happened. We set up an MRI and I went in. It took a good week before the doctor gave me the news that made my heart drop. I destroyed my knee. Surgery for me was coming and I knee it was. So I just sat back and waited. Still went to the ball field and watched Phillies baseball, but that was it for about a month. I was only suppose to be in New Jersey for two week. Then two weeks turned into 4 months. I started to get depressed just sitting around waiting for the surgery that my dad never set up for me, so I made a few phone calls and then before I knew it, I was going home. Home to see my mom and grandparents. Home to get my faith in God back, Home to get the hell away from my dad. While I was stuck in New Jersey waiting for surgery, the broken relationship that we fixed, was broken. He turned into a money hungry jackass who only cared for himself. When I checked into the front desk at the airport in Philadelphia and said my goodbyes, that was the last I would speak to him in over a year and a half.