Addiction

Addiction is a big issue in American society. Everyone is addicted to something be it their job, a sport, or even a type of drink. My addictions aren’t harmful to me, unless you consider a lack of sleep harmful. I have two things I would consider myself addicted to; basketball and reading books.

When it comes to reading, I will read forever. I have been known to sit in a comfortable chair for hours on end. I don’t understand how some of my friends can barely read for ten minutes when I want to read forever. I enjoy action and adventure books. They can be funny at times and at other times very serious. I love how a good author can pull you in and make it where you want more. They keep me in the moment never letting me relax. Like in the book “Ink Spell,” I sometimes feel as if I can give life to the words on the page.

At night I do my homework and immediately afterwards I hunt down the book I’m reading at the time. I then go lie in my bed and read. My mother might ask me to come and watch a movie with her but I will pass it up so I can finish reading my book. Because I get drawn into the book, I usually don’t realize what time it is. By the time I put down the book it will be 2 a.m. But reading isn’t my only addiction.

My greatest addiction is playing basketball. Basketball is a way to pass the time for most people, but for me it is my life. If I could I would live and breathe basketball. I can’t stand not playing. People think I am crazy because I love the sport. When it’s not basketball season I think of ways to make myself better. I spent my whole summer in Texas playing basketball on a traveling team. I even had a one-on-one coach helping me with my post moves.

During the off season I can’t stop hearing a ball bounce on the court floor. That sound is engraved into my memory. It is a rhythm that only I can hear. Then when basketball season finally rolls around, I am the one person on that court that enjoys the pain of the first week of practice, even getting up at 5:30 for a six in the morning practice sends a tremor of excitement through my body. Then when the first game nears I feel the calm before the storm. I feel relaxed. I feel as though I am ready to play. School never seems longer than on game days. As fifth hour comes; my hands start to shake, and by seventh hour my legs are uncontrollable. After school I can barely keep myself seated long enough to get through Coach Cook’s scouting report.

Finally it’s game time. The calm that was once there has vanished and is replaced by adrenaline. Once the game has started I am unable to stop. My body and mind are in sync; playing basketball is the only thing that matters. I push myself beyond what I thought were my limits. Nothing can stop me now. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose; I am in it for the long haul.

When the buzzer goes off at the end of the game I can still feel my heart pounding not realizing the game is over, but as I walk towards the locker room exhaustion slowly creeps up on me and I realize how tired I am. When I get home, I replay the whole game in my mind, living out the mistakes and the amazing plays I help make happen during those forty minutes of playing time.

Right before I go to sleep, I think about the many addictions in today’s world, and how my addictions are small waves in the ocean of American society. We all have our little addictions. It helps make us who we are. I for one love my addictions, and I hope that I never forget that.