A belief can be defined as an opinion or conviction on certain topics or views. These beliefs can be formed by the way in which one is taught or raised, as well as personal or religious values. But in my case, a personal odyssey in 5th grade is what formed many of the beliefs that I have today. A fun night at my brother’s baseball game ended in a serious accident with me lying under a car not remembering what had happened. During the following months of recovery some of the most important beliefs I have today were formed. My near-death experience sculpted beliefs such as learning to value life, deepening my religious views, and discovering that baseball is my favorite sport.
My brother had a baseball game that night and my friend and I were on an adjacent field, but we decided to go back and watch the game. I had to cross the parking lot, but I only looked one way before crossing. Then in a flash I was in an ambulance with a broken wrist and a lacerated thigh. The accident made me realize how short and valuable life is. My accident made me believe that life is too valuable to take for granted. I might live to be 100 years old, but life goes by fast and I have no idea when my life may be cut short. An everyday act like crossing the street almost ended my life in the blink of an eye, and that made the smaller things in life much more challenging. Taking a shower and getting dressed proved difficult without assistance, which made me see the good in valuing the little things in life. Sometimes when I’m having a bad day I try to remind myself how quickly things can change and to “not sweat the small stuff.” I only have one life on Earth, and I believe that it should always be treasured.
Perhaps the most important belief formed from my accident was the belief that God is really there for me. In 5th grade, I never took time to worship or pray to God, but that was soon changed. All I can remember from my accident was that I knew to try and keep my head out from under the car, to prevent any life-threatening injuries, and my head remained unharmed. I believe it was my Guardian Angel who spoke to me and told me to keep my head out from under the car to avoid that being run over. I also believe that God saved me and erased most of the memories of the accident from my mind because they would be too painful and gruesome to remember. Even though I’ve never considered myself deeply religious, my belief in God is stronger than ever today, because He let me survive and helped me recover.
That summer I couldn’t do any activities, as I had stitches in my leg and a cast on my arm; one of those activities was baseball. I ended up missing over two thirds of the season, including various tournaments and pool parties. Sitting in the dugout watching my teammates have fun was torture because I couldn’t play at all. After two months of sitting on the bench, I went nuts out of anxiety to play, and eventually I was cleared to play for the final tournament of the year: state. I’ve played baseball longer than any other sport, and it took my accident to make me realize how much I enjoy the competition and time with friends that baseball offers. Watching and being on a baseball diamond is awesome, but being in the action is what makes my love for the game so strong.
Cherishing life, deepening my faith in God, and recognizing baseball as my favorite sport were beliefs sculpted because of what happened that day. In my case, these beliefs were formed by personal experiences, but there are other ways beliefs can be formed. Some of my beliefs have been formed because of the way I raised, and some have resulted from personal experiences. Looking forward, as I get older, I imagine that I will experience many situations that seem difficult at the time, but they will help me become the person I will be many years later. Sometimes it takes mistakes or accidents to develop the most profound or important beliefs, and in my case it was a learning experience because something was gained from it.
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