What I can relate to is the Jews being compacted in small areas. They're usually compacted in smaller areas moving from concentration camps. When I was younger , I played hide and go seek with friends. We all hid in a closet. No air, no ability to move, or fresh air. It wasn't as serious as being in a concentration camp,but it's how I can relate. I haven't gone through dramatic events. The Jews were being abused , extremely tortured, and most were abused till death. They were all moved to concentration camps. The only place I was forced to go to was my fathers house. I didn't want to go at all. My mom really wanted me to spend more time with him since he left in 2007. I went to his house in 2009. It took two years for him to let me visit. To me, I felt pushed to do it. Almost felt forced to visit him.

Fire! If you were in a small train with 80 people, on your way to a concentration camp. There's one person on the train screaming " Fire!" what would you do? In life there's been situations where I feel that way. When you're trapped in a world you can't get out of. The fire keeps you in. Forever is what it seems like. But, life is promised to end. Would an end fix your problems? Seems that way... When really, life is what you make it. You can escape your fire or whatever crushes you. It can and will happen. My fire was failing. Whether in football, school, or with family, failing is my fire. Even though failing is supposed to make you better, it collapses me mentally.

In Chapter 3, the Men were seperated from Women. This reminds me of Black segregation in the 1950's. Blacks and Whites were not allowed to be near each other during those times. Blacks were treated unfairly. Police officers would spray Black people with water hoses. Beat them with stick, rocks, etc. Not only were there brutal Police officers, but there was the KKK, ( Ku Klux Klan). They'd hang blacks, burn them, and brutally torture them. It was very brutal during those times. Martin Luther King Jr was killed in 1968. This left the black in shock and confusion. But most importantly , they were left leader - less.

In chapter 4, people were moving back and forth from reservation camps. I can compare about this when my parents split. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't how or as to why they split up. I most importantly didn't want one parent to feel unwanted or anything. I decided to live with my grandparents. It wasn't an easy choice, but it was the best choice at the time. I still live with them to this day. They push me through school , taught me about responsibility, and brought a lot of happiness back into my life.

Instant silence... Nothing but quiet set the scene of chapter five. I've had silent situations in life. Like when my mom told me that her and my dad were split up. I was torn between where I wanted to live. I couldn't choose between my parents, so I moved in with my grandparents. For a whole year , me and my dad were silent. He moved and didn't see me nor talk to me till 2009. Silence really broke our relationship. We couldn't really bounce back. I still to this day live with my grandparents.

Have you ever been crushed ? Whether it's by someone else or even yourself , has it happened to you? I can remember a time where my seventh grade football coach crushed me. His words were very strong but so very negative. To a young mind like mine at the time, I wanted to quit. Why should I play for someone so nasty, so rude, so disgusting?! My mom sat me down and talked with me about what I really wanted to do. Hours on hours we spoke. Having me contemplate my choices. I finally figured that it was natural for others to have a bad vibe toward you. I didn't think it was toward me after the sit down. She really explained that people can hurt you by accident. Possibly he had a bad day? Who knows... I haven't talked to him in 3 years. Since I was thirteen years old. I wish him well, because he taught me how to shake things off and handle business at such a young age.

Never ending nights. I have had many nights where I was up, losing minutes of sleep every blink. My mind was clear, my body just wasn't ready to sleep. But I've had worse. Staying up waiting for my dad to come home killed me as a younger kid.
I stayed up late at times. Just to see if he'd come, I'd ask my mom to stay up if I fell asleep. She did in fact stay up. She would talk to him about what he was doing. What role he played, and how his behaviors rubbed off on me. The next morning, he talked to me in his room. Telling me he was sorry, that he'd change. Knowing he wasn't going too.

No tears. Can make a young boy feel like a man. Can you really look stronger as a man by not crying? I have no clue. I only cried after the loss against Tuscarora. It was like a real blow to take. We worked so hard for a whole year, yet we couldn't reach our goal. I felt extra guilt for the players who didn't have the chance anymore. So this offseason, we've all got that mindset of never feeling that pain ever again. We are working hard for our supporters and the ones that were once in our foot steps. People already doubting us, saying who will replace the leaders. I'm one of the few they picked to be a leader this season. I'm already in the mindset to be the greatest. The first game is seven months from now. I just want to be a leader, shed some of my confidence and comfort to new players.

Everyone has that certain point where they just do not care anymore. Nothing can really knock them off what they're doing because they've been through so much in life. I can honestly say that I have not gone through anything brutal or a bad time that I couldn't handle. I guess I could say my concussion was the worst thing I've been through this school year. It was such a bad time. The moment of the concussion was terrible. I couldn't remember anything at all. Not even my name, my girlfriends name, my moms name, etc. It felt terrible because I couldn't do anything about it. I could only sit back and watch. It was a good learning experience. Just wish I didn't have too learn in that circumstance.