Everything is content

In 20 minutes, my team is going to play the panthers. As we are warming up, I see all of their players staring at us from across the field. Unusually, there were a lot of friends at the game. We figured it made sense because it was a playoff game but it was a lot of kids.

Before kickoff, we stretch, joke around, and act like clowns — our usual warmup. The sun’s up, the field feels electric. Ref calls us to start and we are fully prepared. By halftime, we’re up by 25, clearly the better team. We’re throwing bombs, celebrating like we’ve already won.

The panthers are boiling. Yelling at each other, repeating mistakes. Their ‘friends’ are chirping at them from the sidelines. Even their coach is heated. Even the sun is disappointed in them, so it decides to leave. As the lights turn on, the ref whistles, third quarter starts.

They run — we shut it down. They throw — no one's there to catch it. Third down, their last shot. They launch it. Jack swats it midair and loses a shoe as he lands. Our bench immediately roars. Thats when a player yells: “Get your shoe, bitch.”

Jack shoves the guy so hard he falls backward. Suddenly 20 guys are charging him. I’m on the sideline, frozen, watching chaos explode. Our team rushes to protect him. Refs and coaches try to intervene, but it’s 4 adults versus 36 hot-headed teens.

I want to help Jack, but I am worrying for my life. I start picturing scenarios of myself getting killed. Two of my other friends ran out the park to hide. I tell myself, Just grab your bag and get out.

As I reach down, I turn. A short kid in a mask is standing three steps away.

“I wasn’t involved,” I say.

He steps closer. His fist tightens.

“Yo, I did nothing.”

Two more steps. He punches me right in the nose.

I drop, sit on the grass, and cover my face like a duck. Wow, is this really how it ends? A staffer comes causing the kid to run away. She says, “Are you ok?” What an idiotic question. Tears and blood race to see which can fall off my face faster. I expected to be made fun of. No one joked.

My dad says I should’ve known better. Why play football late at night? He doesn’t understand I can’t live an uber boring life. Of course, I would never say that. But my mom? She says, “Let’s make something out of this.”

The next day, we write an essay. The one I submit to the college I now attend. We make videos and podcasts that go viral. People I’ve never met started to recognize me. From there, I build. Create more content. Start a newsletter. Gain more traction and credibility. I didn’t become famous because of it, but a brick was placed.

Would I go back and play that day? Hell no. I needed two surgeries and couldn’t shower normally for weeks. It sucked. But did I turn that moment into something that worked for me?

Absolutely. It paid dividends and continues to work for me. For free!

Whatever you're going through — don’t waste it. Leverage it. Turn pain into power.