Death and/or Glory

Since High School I have had the privilege of knowing some of the finest, and best friends a lad could have. Many people look at my friends and myself and believe us to be eccentric, crazy, and sometimes immature. My response to those people is, AMEN!. That would describe us. All that is needed are a few more definitions. Such as: Ultra-competitive, creative, strange, and belligerent. One of our self given names was, and is, the Provo Pirates. In the book Seafaring Lore & Legend by Peter D. Jeans, a definition of pirate is given: The Latin pirata is from the Greek peirates, peirao, attempt, assault- thus pirate, synonym for vice, cruelty and plunder, one who marauds and pillages. This would best describe us when we play games together, or when we compete. As a group or crew, we have had many wonderful adventures. Too many to really go into detail about.

Throughout these adventures my friends have taught me a lot. Foremost in my mind is that you never wave the white flag. Surrender is out of the question. Time and time again I find myself applying this lesson to my life. When I'm torn down from above, set upon by fiery monkeys, and beaten with a stick, I remember this line from a song by Dido, "I will go down with this ship. And I won't put my hands up and surrender. There will be no white flag above my door".

My rambunctious friends, that are often thought of as crazy, strange, and sometimes downright dangerous, taught me one of the most important lessons of my life. I will not surrender, I will go down with my ship, fighting to the very end.