Late to the Beginning

Choosing to step in, even without the advantage of an early start

Playing a college-level sport when you’re still learning the basics is hard, but not impossible. I started playing softball as a freshman in college.

A lot was riding on the line. This wasn’t for fun; it was about winning a title. Putting me on the team meant risk. The learning curve wasn’t a curve at all. It was vertical. There was no room for mistakes, no margin for error. The pressure was on to prove I could compete with elite players.

Even though I was in right field, I knew that when something came my way, I had to get it. I didn’t want to be the weak link.

I was always scared when the ball came my way. My heart rate spiked, my nerves went on edge, every muscle tensing as I waited to see if I would make the catch. There was a collective sigh of relief when I did, and a heavy, pounding fear when I didn’t.

I wish I could say this only happened in softball. But if I’m honest, there have been many moments like this throughout my life.

Sports: college, learning basics

Marines: mid-20s, proving I belonged

Marriage: no rehearsal

Motherhood: no manual

Career: catching up

Caregiving: no choice

Writing: starting from scratch

I’ve never been on anyone’s timeline but my own.

Doing things on my own timetable came with risks and costs. There is nothing wrong with not starting alongside everyone else. But it meant accepting that I would never be on a level playing field. It would cost me more perseverance, more time, and a greater willingness to work harder than most to make my dreams real.

Do I regret starting late? No. For me, it has always come down to one burning question: Can I do this? And the answer has always been yes.

I enlisted in the Marines, but the question didn’t stop there. Could I become a Marine officer? I didn’t want to look back on my life, still asking. I needed to know. And once I did, the question no longer followed me.

I chose to answer it. No lingering regrets. No unanswered doubts. I needed to know if I could do it, even with the odds stacked against me. There’s no wondering left, only the proof that I was willing to take the risk and find out for myself.

One Dreams Writing — Faith-filled reflections for life’s everyday turning points.