Weblog Journal # 3

In my home here in Bloomington, IN I don't have have my most cherished possessions. I have left those in my home city of San Francisco, CA. As you can tell from the photograph below, I haven't posted a possession that has been handed down by my grandparents, or something that most would see as valuable. However, this is who I am. I think this image captures a large part of who I am, what my interests are, and even where I live. The hat is more than just a baseball cap. The San Francisco Giants have been my favorite baseball team since I was a little kid. Growing up I always envisioned being a professional baseball player for the Giants organization. I was ecstatic when they won the World Series in 2010, and was even more thrilled when they took home the title again in 2012 against the Detroit Tigers. Besides the fact that they're my favorite team, San Francisco is also where I reside. When I'm not here at school in Bloomington, that's where I am. It's the place many of my closest friends and family live. It's the place I have created the most memories; and also the place where I've faced the most hardships. It will always be symbolic to me.

The object under the hat is of course a baseball glove. Although baseball may not be so popular in Indiana (they have no professional teams), I can't say the same about California. Depending on where you live you may be a fan of either the Los Angeles Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, or the San Francisco Giants. I was five years old when I first picked up a baseball, and I just recently put that baseball down. When I got to high school I made it my mission to play college baseball. It's all that was ever on my mind. When I wasn't playing ball for my high school, I was practicing and participating in tournaments around the United States with my club team. When I got to be a Junior/Senior in high school I began attending showcase events where collegiate scouts could evaluate players based on various attributes (speed, strength, future potential, etc.). After one of the events I got a phone call from the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). They offered me a scholarship to play baseball for their school. I accepted. It wasn't until I arrived at Santa Barbara that I began having severe elbow pain. After rehabbing for months they determined my injuries were severe enough to require surgery. They eventually told me I probably wouldn't be able to play again. Although that was extremely hard to accept, I knew I had to have a positive outlook. I quickly turned to focusing on my education (although UCSB is one of the best rated public schools in the nation I wasn't studying an area that appealed to me.) I transferred to IU after my freshman year and got into the Kelley School of Business. If it weren't for baseball, I may never have arrived here. Baseball gave me a strong work ethic, close friendships, and even a support system. Baseball is, was, and always will be part of my life.