and I did it, all that stubbornness has paid off

The late Jeret Peterson's words say it all in the title and this post.

Those seven magical words I've been yearning to hear. "And the winning team goes to the proposition."

(The second speaker on my team was mentioned as best speaker too!)

7:15pm, February 28, 2014.

What I've been out there searching for has finally came to pass. One year of darkness and depression. Two months ago, teaching wasn't even in my dictionary. I was popping countless anti depressants, drinking bottles of alcohol, and starving myself for days. Suicide attempts for the past 20 months, and finally, a tinge of sunshine. "This win represents me overcoming everything... it's my gift to myself. And I'm ecstatic. I'm extremely happy with the way things (have turned out yesterday)."quoting Peterson. The road is long, and the bumps can be a killer. I've worked myself crazy, changed jobs in a span of six weeks but it feels all worth it right now. When things aren't working out, keep walking. I have the best small group of students that I could have ever asked for, though I have only been working for three weeks, and once they lose, my contract will be up, and I'll be long gone.

I'd work all night to make sure the students get the best out of me in class, though they might not sound like a perfect speaker, they have made me proud. When your heart and soul is on the line, this is what I live for. I did the same at the previous school, but betrayal and poison slammed the door and I walked out before it got worse. All for the better. "I always had this feeling I was put on this earth to see how much crap somebody could go through and still come out on top," as Peterson said. This speaks volumes to me. Bullied for being different, which sparked rebellion. Nobody expected me to ever graduate from college, or even high school. But I did. I made it through and walked across the stage that very day on July 13, 2012, with my degree in hand. Someone who was never in the best class and who never had a respectable GPA in college and couldn't cut it anywhere. Who would have ever thought that I'd end up working as a debate coach, or rather, make more than the minimum wage? I've made it. The hours I spend drafting cases, editing it till its of standard, all for one cause. If I didn't do it, I'd go to bed at night with full of regret. All the what if's. Writing cases keep me out of the darkness that I do not wish to see again.

"It goes to show that people can make something of second chances," he said. "It's OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them and as long as you're able to become a better person." Wins do not come very often, as I told the team, but its the learning process that can never be replaced. Talk about a dream, try to make it real, you wake up in the night and it feels so real, sings Bruce Springsteen. One win in the bag, onward to the next one which needs to happen. I told myself the night before the competition that I will have the students win round 2, and I did. That hundred hour work week didn't feel so bad after all.

If my students ever read this, I am so proud of your achievement. It's back to the grind come next class!