Article written by Kyle Grimsrud, Student at Winona State University

 

Ever since I was a little child I have always been jealous of the people on television with money and power. Seeing millions of people fawn and swoon over celebrities and professional athletes is something I have always imagined would happen to me one day, and anything short of that I thought was not only near impossible but also a colossal disappointment. When reality started to set in and I realized that I don't quite have the coordination or athletic ability to be a professional athlete, I felt lost and had no idea where my life was headed. For the longest time all I had ever thought about was how badly I wanted a certain future for myself, and when I realized that was not going to happen I spiraled further and further into a deep depression full of self-loathing and neglect. Time and time again I would try to feel better by trying to please others often at the expense of myself. Loving myself has been one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do, and one of the biggest reasons that I credit to feeling well and having my self-perception change is my girlfriend Katie. Having someone at my side that I felt genuinely cared for and loved me felt like a big breath of fresh air, and for the first time in years I felt motivated to change into a better person. Over the last two years I have learned to love trying new things along with the good and bad things accompanying them. Not trying to be someone else and doing things for my own enjoyment has led to some amazing experiences along with some newly found confidence. These last few semesters are the first time in my life that I can recall where I feel great about the direction my life is headed. If you would have asked me two years ago what my main hobbies and interests are it would have been mainly sleeping and video games. I have learned to love trying to improve myself and as a result I have become an avid reader of business and self-help books, have been trying new things such as traveling to China in March, and I have been trying to challenge myself mentally and physically more. I am not perfect and will never be a professional athlete, but through learning to accept my flaws and roll with the blows that life throws at you I have been able to be a much happier person.

April 30 - May 3rd 100 Mile Garage Sale
May 2nd 10:00am HVMHC Mental Health 5k 
May 2nd 7:30am  Farmers Market
May 3rd 3:00pm All Bach Organ Concert    
May 4th 6:00pm Trinona Volunteer Open House
May 9th 1:00pm  Team Vogel Golf Outing
May 9th 7:30am  Farmers Market
May 16th 9:00am Lego Building Contest
May 16th 10:00am Play Streets & Touch a Truck