my 8 seconds

My Eight Seconds

Bulls are supposed to be some of the most dangerous animals to come into contact with, or at least that’s what I’ve heard. They’re big, they’re bad, they stink, and they can crush a human at any moment; but on a good bull ride, those who come out unharmed rise from the arena dirt like valiant and victorious warriors. The phrase “grab life by the horns” doubtlessly has pertinence to bulls and their nature if nothing else. This phrase has crossed through my mind on numerous occasions over the past several years, and it has helped me make decisions with boldness. The easy way out hasn’t been an option since I began to relate this phrase with one emotionally trying, but overall incredibly satisfying decision I had to make this past year. What I’ve learned is that life is a lot like a bull ride: many bumps, jerks, and bucks, but the thrill of living draws us back in, much like a bull rider. After all, what is there to live for besides adventure?

Mid-June of this past summer, I faced this question and several more that rolled and twirled around in my brain until I couldn’t think anymore as I made one of the toughest decisions of my life. This wasn’t necessarily my first rodeo, but it was my first bull ride, and my decision wasn’t easy to make by any means. I was going against the grain of what I thought I wanted and what other people told me I wanted. I had to decide if I would move with my family to Auburn for my senior year. My mom and stepdad presented the idea to me as delicately as they could. I was told lots of good things about the area, but the one thing I was struggling to overcome was the feeling that I had to abandon or be abandoned. I lowered myself into the bull pen. I had to leave every good thing I had here in the comfortable town of Montgomery—my school, my job, my church, and even my own father. I gripped the rope. The toughest part of all was that I had a choice. I could choose to straddle my bull in the pen of Montgomery for the next year, or I could saddle up and give the fateful nod and come out swinging. After a lot of thought, prayer, and a few moments in my bullpen, I nodded. I was ready to spread my wings. They opened the gates, and against all odds I stayed on for all 8 seconds—through the bucking and swinging of my bull. I was launched into the dirt and came up smiling with a face full of grunge. I had won. Even though we didn’t end up moving, I had crossed a rite of passage. Through my bucking fears, obstacles, and the adverse opinions I faced, I had chosen what thrilled me: adventure. I grabbed life by the horns and lived.