Shade Fight

What if you fought in the shade?

My high school football team used to watch the movie 300 before our games religiously. We absolutely loved it. We even incorporated our favorite line from the movie into our pre game routine, hoopin and hollerin like a pack of crazed wolves as we met our opponent for the coin toss. In some ways, we bought into the Spartan mentality. We identified with the tough frame of mind in which they fought. Our coaching staff drilled into us the ‘no surrender’ attitude of the Spartans long before we ever hit the field on Friday nights.  This alone made Friday nights in K-Mo worth the sacrifices we made in the summer. It was a blast.

My favorite dialogue from the movie takes place between a Persian Military leader and an unranked Spartan warrior. At this point in the movie, the Persian Empire is on a power hungry march determined to obliterate anyone in the way. The Spartans have sent 300 of their most elite to stand up to the Persians, and the first few battles have been huge victories for the stout Spartans. The Persian commander comes to advise the Spartans very arrogantly, to surrender. “Your  wives, your children, your elders will be slaves…but not you…by noon this day, you will be dead men,” He sputters at the Spartan soldier.  Attempting to intimidate the Spartan by the size of the Persian Army, He continues, “A thousand nations of the Persian Empire descend upon you! Our arrows will blot out the sun…”

The Spartan soldier replies with a grin, “Then we will fight in the shade.”

Lets. Go. LETS. GO. LETS GO! LEGGGGOOOOOO.

I know. Some of you are entirely embarrassed for me to be that pumped about this quote from a cheesy macho man film. But I can’t help it. No shame here. I love it. The Spartan is fearless, and quite possibly a little bit crazy. He is not the least concerned with what he will come against in the coming battle. He simply knows no matter what that may be, he is going to fight manfully against it. He embraces the adversity this threat poses, almost thrives off it.

I woke up this Monday morning from an awful dream. I won’t go into lengthy details but Samantha, my bride to be, was tragically killed right before my eyes.  It was very vivid; It was horrifying. I woke up with knots in my stomach.

Samantha is a different woman. I love her with every fiber inside my body. The thought of losing her this close to our wedding day ate away at me. I began soberly asking myself what would I do if I lost her today? Were this to happen, it would without a doubt be the darkest season of my life, the deepest pain I have experienced.

Honestly, a large part of me would want to tuck tail and run. Call it quits essentially, live with a deep anger and resignation in my life. But unfortunately I played football for that hardass Greg Jones and his staff, and they have ingrained in my soul something that would lead me to undoubtedly fight in the shade.