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| Red Sox after there improbable comeback on the Yankees in 2004. |
Boy o boy, this neighborhood of South Beach is truly something else. Tha stuff we see on a daily basis...just this afternoon we Lebron witnessed a model shoot...a rollerblade girl zip right in front of me with nothing more than super tiny toons swimsuit, with a bottom thong that could easily fit an ant. Just a little too much for Galaxia, I like girls to express themself but u can tell when it just for over-the-top attention. At least have the bod...whatever, u gonna get that in tha hood. Then later I promise u it seemed like these dudes were shooting a music video or something, like steps away from my showroom. These dudes got cameras set up on tha corner and stuff. I didn't know whether to walk around them or step in a do my harlem shake slash pop lock drop it dance. I so love to dance...all I need is a E flat note, and we're Saturday Night Fevering it up. It don't take much.
I was at David Barton Gym, up in the Gansevoort Miami Beach, getting it in. Lots of energy in tha "club" today. Folks really working hard which we love, u still get those side conversations but...awkward moment of the day was when I was doing our yoga/pilates post-workout stretch, they were bumping this remix or something of Beyonce's "If I were a boy" song, I look to my left and this guy is on the inclined ab machine bumping some Sasha Fierce of himself. I was like, "Say what??" cuz this dude was about fitty years old!! Hey, u go boy, whatever it takes for you to crank it up.
For a second during our workout I looked up at the ceiling which if u haven't been inside the gym it basically looks like an Arabian mansion, and the roof has an open look to it with a mosque design. Kinda cool. A thought crossed our mind about our life and stuff. Especially since I was in one of those silver spoon fed, Beverly Hills kid, spoiled brat who moved to South Beach type of moods on today. Guess we're weird like that...I just have to learn to change the thangs I can change and not to worry about tha things...yada, yada....sometimes u just think life is toying with you like a yo-yo.
Yes, we've been blessed beyond measure in a lotta shape, ways or forms. And I recognize that, and thank the Big Gizzle for His blessings. But u know there is another life waiting for you. So when u deal with a person who thinks ANYTHING is possible, that's where frustration can creep in like, why do I have to go through this episode? Or why should I do it the "right way", when seemingly its taking so long to do it that way? Or why do people parking freaking illegally seeming just to park next to our ride here in South Beach? I know they see the yellow line! Happens so much dude...just a simple yet very complex cat who wants to have fun. That's it.
I used to wanna change the world ( I remember telling that to this chick at a modeling agency down here in Miami, and she almost threw me out tha window like they say Suge Knight did Vanilla Ice!)...it takes a lot to do that, and a lotta stages on the journey that u have to go through. Its during those stages when u wonder if its even worth it. If its even worth it...but it's during those times where u become harder, better and faster. We are in those final stages now, and it's been tough. But has we've been saying the closer u get, the rougher it gets. Just like getting your dream job, sometimes u have to go through several interviews before u get it. And each one, u get more difficult tests. No different in life....by tha way, if ur on a dinner interview, and tha boss asks you to "pass tha salt". Do you simply pass tha salt....or do you pass the salt and the pepper? Humm...little tricky isn't it. Think about it.
For some reason I feel a story is a brewing in tha air...now we tell so many stories about our life, I know folks think we're some kind of dufus or something. Just have experienced a lot and have been put in some precarious situations. Especially with girls...I remember...just kidding! U know when I mention those words a story is on tha horizon, but not tonight I don't think, just gonna enjoy the evening. U just never know what a moment can bring. I still believe the impossible is possible. It may be blind faith, but when u've seen so much happen in life, sports, love, u know u never have this thing called life down pat. Let me tell a quick story...
I remember my junior year of high school. During tha summer, I worked extremely hard to get ready for the upcoming basketball season. I was geeked up, just had a decent hoop sophmore year playing junior varsity and everything. Our name was being mentioned in basketball magazines about being one of the ones to look out for. I even got my own full sentence!! Yea...like the old folk used to say, "I don't care what you say about me, just spell my name right!" So the training camp or open gyms begin to come up. I was in really good shape, I thought, and did alright. So then...
The final day of "tryouts" occurred. On the final day, the head coach, what up Coach Falls, called me over to him as he was sitting me on the side of the court. I walk over and was like, "What up, Coach." So coach, came out, and hit me with a two-piece with hot sauce, and a king size of okra, some news that I definitely wasn't expecting to hear. He said, "Austin, I'm thinking about putting you on Jay Vee (Junior Varsity)." Boy, this hit me HARD. Especially since in our personal opinion I thought we coulda did some work on the varsity team the year before. So those infamous words came down outta my mouth..."I'll have to retire." Noticed I didn't say quit, I said retire, just due to tha fact that we've accomplished so much in our hoops career from MVPs to Championships, been very blessed, if anyone comes to our home back in Indiana, they would definitely see we are a serious basketball family from the trophies and stuff.
Coach then asked if we could repeat that. And literally with tears bawling down my face, nose running and my lips stuttering like I was being interviewed by Oprah, I said, "I'll have to retire." Coach was like take some time to think about it...I really wasn't hearing it. It was super awkward, sister. By this time, my Pops enter tha gym to pick us up, and Coach told him tha situation. I just told my father how I felt about "retirement" at tha ripe AARP age of diaz y seis anos. Pops wasn't having it...at all. He was almost yelling at me not to quit and all this and that...just a long night home, and a long night in general. Especially when u're watching CNN Headline News and at tha bottom and scrolling u see: Source says: Austin Williams planning to retire on tommorrow. (wink!) But I didn't know what was about to happen, my love was being taken away from me, when I know I deserved to be on this team. It just ain't fair!! Flat out.
Enter tha next morning...Coach Falls called me to the office during tha day, I believe, and he told me he was gonna an extra two players, myself and Stank (my hoops brotha) on the Varsity team. That was cool...but us being a 15th man??? Just don't even sound right. It's like saying that Desperate Housewives has no love scenes or Guns 'N Roses are now playing gospel music...it just doesn't ring u know. So now the bumping and grinding begins...on tha court of course...so this new "role" in this grand plan begins...
And it began horribly...wasn't really getting time on tha court in practice, and stuff...then it all cultivated like a weed garden in Columbia, during this game in South Bend, Indiana. When I got put in tha game...finally...in tha 4th quarter. But tha thing was our team was down by like 20 points, and I was at my typical MTV Super Sweet 16 best by acting like a complete conceited jerk on tha court for tha world to see. I did not want to be out there on tha court and made that clear with some body language that woulda made Susan Lucci at the Emmys jealous! So after tha game, u already know what was coming, another talk with tha fam, and Pops in particular about embrassing myself, and yada yada...so I had a decision to make. This was all foreign territory to us, I truly felt like I was starring in a depressing remake of M*A*S*H. (I just gotta hear that theme song for old times sake! Whew, tha memories!) So what do you do...u either fight for your right to party or you face the possiblity of our family turning into The Jacksons! We chose the former, and rolled up our sleeves...
An interesting thing began to happen though...we was losing games, I wasn't involved in. It was a God wink, even during the first game of the year, because even though I played like a minute of the game, my picture ended up on the front page of the Sports page....interesting...so since our team wasn't doing so well, I began to get more chances in practice. I gotta give credit to Dr. Jojo, who was my buddy on tha team, he was in a similar position and both of us just began to give it in practice. Love u Doc! So after awhile, I began to get in with the starters during practice, and things began to click.
Thus it was a Friday wintry night in Indiana, which only meant one thang...High School Hoops. Word was spreading through the media, that after a long few weeks, I was finally gonna get my chance on the court. It was known before hand, so there was a little pressure as all eyes would be on us. So in Chesterton, Indiana, our number got called in tha first half, and we was pretty calm, but ready to show out like Chris Brown at tha Grammys. We entered tha game and the first time we touched the ball, a 3-ball corner pocket straight swoosh in tha basket...from there it got better, assists, just hustling like a dude on tha street corner...it worked out and our team won. And from there, it only got better, ended up getting more time on tha floor, and just a few games later you were hearing that, "And at guard, A junior...Austin..." during tha starting lineups. Our team went on to win tha conference that year, and many consider that team the best in our school history.
So why did we write this? I guess you just never know. Things can turn so quickly and right when u think life ain't worth livin'...cough, cough Austino...it can turn. U never know. So we must not give up. Pep talking ourself...just think if we would've retired...
Perhaps there wouldn't be an Austino Galaxia. Matter of fact, there wouldn't have been.
Keep Pushing...please...keep pushing.
Austino Galaxia.
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