Interview

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
WHEN FAILURE MEANS SUCCESS
By: Erin McNeil,
12th grade, Clarkston Schools
I
shy away from the unknown. That’s not
to say I won’t take part in it eventually,
but it takes careful thought and reasoning
beforehand. It involves a lot of self-given pep
talks. Once I begin something, though, I try
my hardest to succeed. I’m no stranger to the
“try, try again” mantra.
When I first learned to drive, the only
vehicle available was my mom’s stick shift.
A little daunting, but “I’m a smart kid and I
catch on pretty quickly,” I thought. Except I
didn’t. I stalled over and over to the point of
tears. Things went downhill fast one day. I
stalled first at a busy intersection at a green
light, then again before turning left onto a
ramp for I-75. A car behind me proceeded
into oncoming traffic around me, sending
me into a panic attack expressed in a vibrant
string of curses and hyperventilation. After
that, I called it quits.
Months later, my dad forced me back
in. Stalling twice, we got to the first hill
in my neighborhood. Frustrated and annoyed,
I parked the car right on that hill
and stomped home, leaving my dad inside.
I vowed to never drive a manual transmission
again, even though it was my only option.
I stayed resolute until my own craving
for freedom and independence finally won
out - I admitted to myself that I was afraid
of failing. So, I plucked up my courage,
swallowed my pride, and, after many more
nerve-wracking attempts, conquered that
manual transmission. Freedom grasped, independence
achieved, I had worked hard
and succeeded: Exhibit A, proving the validity
of the “try, try again” motto.
However, perseverance isn’t always the
answer. After years of playing National level
and Varsity volleyball, accompanied by one
spinal fracture and two hip tears, I came to
realize that I no longer loved the game. But
quitting? That was taboo since “no one”
quits a Varsity sport in Clarkston. I struggled
for weeks with self-doubt: Would my
teammates still respect me or would they
shun me at school? Would I disappoint my
“Instead of taking one approach or the other
in every situation, make the decision whose
outcome will improve your life. Take your
time, think about it, give yourself a peptalk
if you must, but then act confidently,
knowing it will be right for you.”
coaches? I took a few weeks off volleyball to
think and realized that I was simply happier
without it.
With all the courage and confidence I
had, I broke the news to my coaches and
teammates. To my surprise, they were impressed.
They, too, were aware of the stigma
of quitting athletics and respected me
for making the choice that was right for me.
Even more surprisingly, I felt respect for
myself as well. I felt like I was getting back
who I was, what I wanted, and what made
me happy. It was terrifying to leave the
sport I’d lived and breathed for the previous
six years, but starting a new life without
volleyball opened up new opportunities and
room to try new things. Quite simply, it was
the bravest thing I’d ever done.
In the candid words of W. C. Fields, “If at
first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then
quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool
about it.” There is never one solution for
everything. Instead of taking one approach
in every situation, we should make decisions
that improve our life. Take your time,
think about it, give yourself a pep-talk if you
must, and then act confidently, knowing it
will be right for you.
November 2015
5
Publication INC.