Rough stuff on the field

Hey guys. Your podcast is inspiring. Well I’m almost 20 now and ever since a young age, I’ve always wanted to join the military. Any branch. It started with the marine corp. but as I grew I wanted something bigger and better. I set my goals as high as being a Green beret or a Navy Seal. I even got accepted to the Citadel military college of South Carolina. Anywho. I was playing football for my high school and I took a bad hit. I was 150 pounds soaking wet and I was only 5’9” and the guy that hit me was 160lbs heavier and 4 inches taller and he caught me with a blindside hit.

Well when he hit me, it fractured my lower back, herniated the disc, and as of right now I have a bone spur forming. I played three more games and won a state championship in 2017 with my brothers on the football team. I kept weightlifting thinking it was just an ache that would go away. I finally went to the doctor and we had to run several tests just to find out what was wrong. I finally got the results and the doctor told me what was wrong. When the doctor told me this I broke down. Not because of the bad back. But because I didn’t think I was going to be able to accomplish my dreams and meet my goals.

I was scared and didn’t know what was gonna happen. Because everything I did hurt horribly. I felt like half of the kid I was when I was healthy. Everyone told me that I needed to hang up that dream and give up. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. It always stuck in the back of my mind. To the point of where I got rejected by all four branches of the military. I couldn’t hang it up. The pain is still there. But I live with it. I try my best not to let it slow me down. I just got an appointment set up to see if I can get it fixed. And IF I get it fixed and get healthy, I’m going straight to the NAVY recruiting office. I can’t give up on that dream. No matter how hard I try. I can’t find anything that seems more appealing to me than a life in the greatest military in the world.

I watch Marcus Luttrell, Rob O’Neill, and even Chris Kyle’s stories because they are inspiring. It’s the one thing I can’t stop thinking about. I might be small. But I’m not built to be behind a desk. I want to be apart of something bigger than myself. I want to fight for my country and protect this great nation. I’m just as patriotic as the next guy, but I cannot give up on my dream of joining the Navy. Thanks for the inspiration to keep trucking. You guys are awesome!

Author: Mac