The Greatest Assist (Patrick Kane)

3| Chilly

Chelsea

There's a lot of aspects of my life that's confusing for people who aren't me. I grew up in a rich family, they bought me everything I needed and more. There's wasn't a material thing that I could ask for and wouldn't be got for me. In a way my life should have been perfect, I had everything I could ever ask for... and at the same time it still wasn't enough.

I learned at a early age that money isn't everything. I could afford the nicest clothes but if I felt like trash in it then it didn't really mean anything. I had the best phone available but I never wanted to talk to anyone in my contact list besides my two best friends. Money couldn't buy feelings, experiences, memories, things people use to stay humble and stay kind. Therefore money never meant all that much to me because it was valued for what you can buy with it, not what you do with whatever you buy. Family, that didn't mean anything to me either. The only one in my family who truly understood me was my sister, and the moment she turned 18 she went over seas to become a marine and never looked back. Of course she visited but she knew as well as I did that coming home for visits isn't easy.

Mom and dad had all of our lives planned out from the very beginning. They wanted their name spread far and wide reaching the minds of as many people as possible. Everyone should be talking about us and they never cared if what they said was good or bad. As long as someone was talking about us they figured their life was justified. Their idea of leaving a impact is a discussion of quantity and not quality. And growing up like that caused them and I to bump heads more times than not. I was the only kid 🧒 n the whole family who refused a helping hand from them growing up. I didn't let my last name get me places, I tried to make a name for myself which they disapproved of.

I was that girl who only had two friends, but it's the same two friends I've had my whole life. In my parents eyes I was being anti social and shut off. In reality I was watching people, I was observing and I realized that I don't want to be friends with everyone I see. The people who they hung out with was the last people on this earth that I wanted to associate with. There are bad people in the world, and I don't want to be a part of their lives if they're not at lest trying to do good. My parents didn't look at it that way. To them it was the more the merrier I guess.

Even when I got that internship with the Lakers they tried to meddle in my life. They didn't like my choice of work saying sports is a lost cause, but I knew I wanted to work with people, finding the good in every day and making a difference. A real difference.

So after that fell apart I was praying Chicago was my future home. I was hoping that this was where I could start over and make a difference in this part of the world. Maybe if I can make a difference in Patrick's life then I could make a difference in this city too.

So I head out to the United Center to meet with Patrick and be able to observe his daily routine. They had some training camp stuff to do and I was going to bare witness so I can get a better feel of what he needs. Being around basketball players for a few years helped with the idea of a what a athlete needs. But this isn't just guys with a basketball. This is a guy on blades running across the ice with a stick chasing a puck. Patrick's needs are going to be different and I'm here to figure that out.

So I join a practice and observe what a day in the life of a hockey player is like. I stand outside of the rink really regretful I didn't bring a jacket in here. So I grab my arms and try to keep warm as they get practice under way.

"You look chilly" a soft voice says and I turn around. I see a dirty blonde girl come stand next to me as she smiles at me. She was a little taller than me as she shined down on me like the sun. This woman was stunning, I can give her that.