#6 - Aaaand...Back to Me

I thought we'd talk about me again.  The next item on the list is a "fun fact about me."  This one is actually tough for me, which is why there has been a delay in postings.  I don't know what other people would consider a "fun" fact.  I'll go with this little fact and you can categorize it as you see fit.  It is something that not many people know, though, so I hope you at least categorize it as "interesting."

When I was a freshman at The University of Texas, I decided to walk on the track team.  Not as a runner - I knew my place there would be last - but as a long and triple jumper.  I was pretty good in high school and I enjoyed it and they had a try-out, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  For six weeks I worked out with the team, but never saw a jump pit.  Despite my frequent request to just jump, the coach never let me.  She had me running miles upon MILES with the runners (while the field event competitors were practicing their respective events).  At the time, I didn't do miles upon miles.  The most I ever did was a quarter mile.  I did it fast, but that was it.  I didn't keep going.  So I was miserable.  It became evident to me that they had a "try-out" because they were supposed to and she thought she had all the jumpers she needed, so she was just going to run me to death.  Until I quit.  So after six weeks, I walked right back off the team.  And that season, I watched those jumpers.  And a lot of times I could have beat them with what I jumped in high school.  Her loss.

Truthfully, though, I never looked back.  I got a job that I loved and kept that job for the next seven years, which I would not have been able to do with being on the track team.  And I had a lot of fun ;-)