Choices Have Consequences

I have been debating whether to post about this or not, but since it's important to me and it's pretty much over now, I'm going to.  If you live in my area, you probably know what this is all about already so you can just skip along if you don't what to hear what I have to say about it.

Let me give some background information regarding our area and our state.  Basketball is very popular in Maine and every year there is a large state-wide tournament where teams compete for the state championship.  It is a big deal to be ranked high enough to make the tournament but to win Eastern Maine or Western Maine and be able to compete for the State is every basketball player's dream.

Last year our boys basketball team won Western Maine and lost in the State game.  They were ranked number 2 for the tournament and were capable of winning Western Maine again and possibly the State.  This well written article sums up what happened and expresses my feelings regarding the situation even better than I could say them myself.  It made the front page of the largest paper in Maine today.

Click HERE.  Take a minute to read it.  If you have teens, have them read it.

I had tears after reading this article.  One bad choice affecting so many.  Our area is small.  3000 people at most.  We know everyone.  I mean everyone.  You know the kids, their parents, and even their grandparents.

What was not said in the article was the other story about a freshman player called up to play varsity was playing for his sister.  His sister, who just 2 days after this whole incident, was critically injured in a car accident.  His sister, who is still in this hospital because of it.

He was the high scorer.

She goes to a different high school and her friends from that school, about 10-12 of them, were there at this game, cheering for her brother.  The one who was playing that game for her.

So much emotion for everyone at that game.  Myself included.

My kids were not playing, they aren't old enough.  This didn't involve my family in any way, but yet I had so many tears to myself about this game.  For so many reasons.

~For the boys who weren't there, who made the wrong decision.  I'm sure this is a choice that they will remember for the rest of their lives.  I never got to play on a team that had a chance to make States.  Most kids don't.  It takes a lot of years of work to get there and you can't go back for a redo.

~For the senior on the team left to play with freshmen and sophomores, in his last high school game ever.  He can't come back and try again next year.  THIS was his year.

~For the freshman, in the middle of family turmoil, comes and plays a fantastic game for his sister.


This town cares about those in it.  The people in this town get sneakers for kids when they don't have them for basketball or cleats for outdoor sports.  A girl loses a field hockey stick and a brand new one appears in the school office for her the next week.  A family loses everything in a fire and in less than 24 hours $10,000 has been raised for them.   A teen is critically injured in a car accident and 2 teen boys take over her father's plowing jobs so he can stay with her at the hospital.  And another $10,000 is raised in 2 days for that family of the car accident victim just 1 week after the fire happened for the other family.


You see, kids in my town, we care very deeply about what happens to you.  You may not think so, but people you may not even take a second look at, old and young, are watching you, living dreams through you, celebrating with you, and even feeling heartache when you fail.