Passion

            Who am I? A loving daughter, adoring sister, devoted friend; dynamic soccer .
             player, graceful surfer, and earnest scholar, these are my personas and the traits that describe me, but it is my passion for these things that define me; they are what make my life interesting and worthwhile. "Passions are the winds which fill the sails of the human vessel; sometimes they sink it; but without the winds of passion a person can not make his way. Voltaire (Zadig, 1747.).
             While watching television, I was inspired by a PowerAde commercial featuring a man running a race, a marathon. The commercial shows the man limping; struggling in pain, seemingly unable to go on, yet by the sheer power of resolve, he finishes the race. "You never fail unless you quit," is the message shouting from the screen. I am taken with this quote that parallels passion with personal strength. .
             It is 5:45 AM, and my dad is at my bedside. His hand is placed on my shoulder, and he is whispering, "it's time to go, baby." I groan, but since I am blessed with few precious "dawn patrols- in which I get the chance to surf with him, I force myself from the comfort of my bed. We arrive at the beach, sun peeking from the horizon, the air is salty, and there is a swell. The water is chilly, but invigorating. I pump my arms hard to get past the inside break to the outside where the ride-able waves are. I finally arrive, the hard paddle has winded me, but I soon recover as I sit and relax atop my board. As I contemplate the imposing wonder that is the ocean, I suddenly realize that the waves are big. My excitement quickly shifts to anxiety, "I can't catch these," I think, as I am .
             2.
             paddling down the face! The nose of my board goes under, and I am thrown by the wave into the sea. I am under the water being tossed, turned, flipped, and rolled from the pressure of the massive wave. I shoot up gasping for breath, my heart pounding through my chest, "not cool.