Sophia
I've been working at NBCSN for almost three months now and I'm loving every second of it. Not to sound cheesy but my coworkers were more like a family than anything. We buy each other lunch and get hotel rooms next to each other on the road. I loved coming into work, I loved who I got to work with. Everyone loves the city of Chicago and the teams. There's tons of perks like tickets to the games I don't cover and creative flexibility for pieces. I really do feel like this is what I was supposed to be doing all along.
And for all my hard work and dedication to my craft I get to be a part of one of the specials here at CSN. There was a hour long show about the Bears that they were doing and they wanted me to be a part of it. I got to do my own research and talk about what I wanted to. It meant a lot to me because football means a lot to me. It was everything to me for such a long time in my life and it's still a big part of me. I still wish I could have played. But this will have to be what I do, for it's the closest thing I have to being out there.
I step in front of the camera and read over what was written. I had scribbles all over the paper but the direction I was going in wasn't clear. There's so much to talk about, so many stories to share. I didn't even know where to start or where to go. But I knew that what I had to say was worth listening to so I was going to do my best.
"Are you ready Miss Elway" the producer asks. I replace a curl that had escaped the half up half down hairstyle and nod my head.
"I'm ready" I nod.
They start rolling and I read from the teleprompter. This was something I had written out but sometimes life can't be scripted. Trust me, I know. So I try my best to follow it and still be real and in this moment.
"When I was a little girl it was just me and my dorky little brother Hank. We were two peas in a pod. Wherever I went he had to be right there next to me. While dad was out doing photo shoots and practicing and making appearances we were often times left at home either by ourselves or with whichever nanny strolled in that week. And at first I hated it, you give a kid that much freedom then get mad when they exercise it, but as I grew older I realized how nice that time to ourselves truly was. We learned a lot in that big old house growing up. How to bake and clean, we watched each other's back and there was never a day we didn't hang out together. There was no animosity or jealousy, we were the Elway kids and we got to see some pretty amazing things before we even hit double digits.
We got older and dad started pushing for Henry to toss around a football. He would throw a ball in his hand ever chance he got. Make him hit targets, run plays, lift weights before he even hit puberty. Some of my favorite memories growing up was when Henry and I played catch in the front yard, just him and me. And for a while I had a better arm than him. Of course he started hitting the gym a little more and dad started coaching him a little harder. Started getting in his head about why throwing his life away at a young age to train would make him successful quicker.
And I guess dad was right. Henry was a natural with the game and he picked it up quickly. Very soon he was too good to be playing with me and I was left in the shadows. My brother grew, each day more scouts were on him and his vision became more narrow. Soon enough he couldn't even see me as part of the picture anymore. He was dads pride and joy and that left me in the dark.
And it is not in the shadows where we are seen. Sometimes all we want is to feel like we're not the afterthought. But in the shadows we grow, for in the darkness we truly see even if we're not seen. We see who is there for us, who is really willing to shine some light for us. And in the darkness we see what we need to see the most.
I used to hate shadows, thought they were cold and damp. Sitting by watching my family make a name for themselves while I got forgotten, it sucks. And none of this happened in spite of me. But as we build up these athletes and worship what they had to do in order to succeed, we can't lose sight of all they had to leave behind in order to step out of the shadows.
And I'm not telling this story for people to feel sad for me. I'm happy for Hank, I love that we get to be together again in a new city. We find days to play catch still and he will always be my stinky little brother. I'm telling these things because so many athletes get left in the shadows never to be left out again.
The worlds full of talented kids, and not every single one of them has a dad in the hall of fame. But there's a place for everyone in sports, even if it's not on the field. In a city like Chicago I see every day how opportunities seem to go to waste. I'm here to tell everyone it doesn't stay dark forever. Should we have the strength to weather the cold we will find the sun again. Each and every day is a fresh start to find what you truly love. It took me 25 years to figure it out. And I'm still learning, what it means to be a part of a football organization again and know my role in it. In the sports world so much goes swept under the rug and I do feel for the unsung hero's of these stars. The mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers who give up so much of their light for their family member to shine.
Sacrifice knows no limits. Sometimes you have to ask yourself what you are willing to do to get what you want. And what you're willing to lose along the way. I made a friend in the past year who didn't realize the price of greatness and one day he looked around to see that even outside of the shadows things can be hard. He gave up more than he knew so when he finally stopped to look around he didn't even know what's left. That's a awfully terrible feeling to have, especially in something as unforgiving as sports.
But know both him and I see that through the trials and errors is the greatest prize of all. And it's not championships or MVP's, it's being a part of something much bigger than yourself. It's being able to stop in a moment and look around and have something that's fulfilling. That makes it all so worth it" I say.
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Shadows (Patrick Kane)
FanfictionNo ones live their life with conviction, we all have a choices to make that guides us in where we will go. Patrick Kane never had issues deciding what he wanted to to be for hockey is all he has known since he was a kid. Sophia on the other hand has...