Alesana is the goddess of perspective. When people are going through great hardships and struggles in their lives, they go to her for guidance and enlightenment. In some cases, she even comes to them. Sometimes through dreams, sometimes through pure mentality. She puts their difficulties in a diverse light and shows them how they can benefit from their issues, rather than be affected negatively. The following is a fictional story with an influential moral.
John was always an athlete throughout his entire life. He couldn't even sit still for half an hour straight; he was always moving. During high school, he played on the varsity football, basketball, and baseball teams. But he didn't just play, he shined. Towards his Junior and Senior year, he buckled down and became most interested in football. He made the grades, and he had the talent. By fall of his senior year, he received an envelope from his favored school, home of the Fighting Irish. He had dreamed of going to Notre Dame ever since he could remember. When he opened that envelope, his body grew numb. His face turned faint, and his smile grew broad. He had received a full football and academic scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.
John always played wide receiver, which is an offensive position. He continued to shine throughout his Freshman and Sophomore years at Notre Dame. His academics were also quite exceptional. When he got about half way through his junior year, he experienced a tragic accident. One Friday night, Notre Dame was facing one of their biggest rivals, the University of Southern California. USC had an unusually large but quick cornerback who was about 6'3”, 205 pounds. John caught a pass, but was tackled by the opposing team's cornerback. He broke the lower part of his spinal cord, leaving him motionless. An injury time-out was called and he was carried off the field. His mother, at a loss for words, raced from her reserved seating section down to the sidelines of the field where her son was. John wasn't moving, and his eyes were closed. A doctor announced that he had a severe concussion, and required immediate medical attention.
John finally woke up two days later in a local hospital in Indiana. He flexed his hands and stretched out his neck; however, he had no feeling from his waist down. Confusion struck him. On the hospital room television were highlights from the last game he'd ever play. On the screen, he saw himself being carried off the field. All of the sudden, he recollected everything. He had memories and faint images racing through his head. He seemed as if to be re-living it all. He let out a shriek. His mother then walked into the room, escorted by a tall, slender figure. He introduced himself as Doctor Higgins. His diagnosis for John was permanent paralysis from the waist down. John struggled to speak, nearly startled by the sound of his own voice.
“W-w-what about football?” he asked. “I have to play. I need to play. Football is all I have.”
“I'm sorry,” Doctor Higgins started, “but there's nothing anyone can do that will change your condition. You had an amazing two-and-a-half years playing college football for an outstanding team; but it's over now. The best advice I can give you is to live with lasting memories of those years, rather than live in remorse because of your accident. Letting go doesn't mean you have to forget. There is such thing as the Wheelchair Olympics, you know. For basketball, and other sports too. Maybe after a few years of getting used to everything, you'll take interest in that. Again, I'm very sorry. If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know.”
At that, he walked out the door. Silence invaded the room. John was left breathless. He turned as pale as the walls in the poorly lit hospital room. His mother did her best to comfort him, but didn't get him to say much. It killed her to see her only son like this.
Two years after the accident, when John was almost twenty-six, he was still having a hard time coping with his new environment. He moved back home, and was finally accustomed to his wheelchair. One night, he tried to defy what he had been told. He was at the house by himself, and tried to get something from the top shelf. He struggled to his feet and manually put his knees into place. Nearly all his weight on his arms, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Motionless, he managed to curl up and put his face to his knees. He lost it. Tears fell faster and in larger quantities than ever before. He clenched his fists.
