Metaphor Madness by Daryl Gustafson (memoir 2)

Sometimes, I feel that my life is a sled, sliding down an almost endless hill, covered in slippery, blinding snow. You start out excited and scared to start but once you begin, you feel great and exhilarated. The hill is jarring and uneven in some places, smooth in others and obstacle filled in others. During the uneven parts, you can’t control the sled from jolting your body up in the air. When you come down, the impact is so painful that you can’t help but to let out a yelp. The smooth parts in life and on this ride are easy-going and can get boring and fast at some moments. Sometimes you wish you never had gone on this ride and you wish you could just turn around and walk back up to the top. Fear is a part of the rides we endure in our existence; we can’t help it but to be afraid! The top is where you can choose to go on the adventure, not in the middle of the journey. Choosing to stay at the top can lead to jealousy or relief. You hear the excited screams of the other riders and wonder, “what would it be like,” or “I’m glad I didn't take the risk!” If you choose to take the risk and ride, you can go your own way and be different, like a zebra in a pack of lions, or you can go with the flow, like one lion in the pack. Choosing to turn can lead you to better things, like paradise, or worse things than you could imagine. But that is up to you! You know what’s best! Whichever way you go, you still end up somewhere! Even though the adventure is fun, the end has to come! The flat land at the end of the hill is the cool down…the finish line for you (or me!).

When someone new, a new coach, came into my gymnastics career, I thought I was going to slide off the trail. I was comfortable with the old coach! He taught me what I know today! When he was here I felt I could veer off the hill and try new things. He encouraged me to take risks and accept the adventure ahead of me. I loved the way he never yelled and was happy all the time! Even his bumpy areas were better than the happy ones of the new one! His name was Charles. He showed me that fear is a big part in life and you have to learn to live with it. I never wanted him to leave; but then he did.

When Charles was gone, the new coach took over the gym like it was his. It wasn't, he was only a coach, only an employee. None of us liked him; he was always grumpy and put us down when he should have been correcting us. It was the worst time for a new coach, too. His session started right before competition season started. We had one week to adjust to him and his teaching habits. It was hard! Then were the jolts and potholes of the hill. He didn't know what we were good at and what we could and couldn't do so he just had us all do the same thing, easy skills and nothing near what we were capable of when Charles was here.

Our first meet was over and the trail smoothed out, the bumps became less and less painful to endure. It became easier to do stuff with him and he got a little bit nicer. Then the next meet came and I figured out that I was going downhill, fast! I was not able to do a giant on the bars or a layout on floor without struggling. There was an obstacle in my sleds’ way. I got gradually better at the things I was struggling with, but Jeremy’s attitude towards us was not getting any better. He was stuck in a ditch, it seemed like! Even after season was over, he continued to treat us bad. Many of the mothers of my teammates got together and talked to him, hence, solution! All of them complained about how we were coming home crying and talking about how it was him that threw us in a bad direction.

He has gotten better and we have grown to like him more each day! It is free season and we get to play a little bit more and learns a little bit easier. My days of “strongly disliking” (hating) him still go on but it is not as strong as before. The smooth areas have taken over and jolts and bumps have gotten easier to endure.