Initations

Initiation. As I thought of times of initiation in my life, I came to realize that there are many more instances than I had ever considered. I also found that the trial overcome and the knowledge gained through initiation result in a ticket, an invitation, to a group of people...and this ticket is necessary, there is no way in the club without it.

Here are a few of "initiation" experiences in my life:

1. Us younger players had heard about it for quite some time. Often times the stories seemed unbelievable. How could a person survive such a drill? My experience so far had taught me that my lung capacity would not suffice in such an experience. I could say I had done "so many" suicide runs consecutively, had survived through the dreaded "quick fire" drill, and had survived many a morning practice... but I could not say I had experienced the "popcorn" drill. When I did finally run a popcorn, I realized that I always considered it to be much harder than it actually was (probably due to the stories I had been told), but after successfully completing the drill, I had gained the right to say I had also been made to run "a popcorn." I was now a sort of high school basketball veteran.

2. I was initiated into a sorority in fall of 2009....and that is all I can say about that.

3. I underwent another initiation with one other person. We were required to take ten classes, to pay for an official document evidencing our initiation, to prepare for seven months, to spend too much time and money, to make sure and have witnesses of the initiation, to feed all of the witnesses (dinner and cake), and to make a life-long vow in the presence of God. Yep, it was the initiation of marriage. It was something I could read about, talk to those who had undergone the initiation, learn about it and prepare for it, but nothing would bring me to this new stage of life apart from it. I don't think I could say it was painful...but I now am a "Mrs." for the rest of my life and I have joined the married couples club.