Without school occupying seven hours Monday through Friday, homework, co-curricular activities, and college prep, free time is seemingly something I have a surplus of. However, it is important to fill this time void with beneficial activities that give this gap year substance. Although creating an agenda comprised of a well-blended mixture of internships, academics, self-improvement and fun is not easy, it itself is a large part of what I am learning from this time off from school.
Now that I am not getting up a 5 or six every morning for basketball, going to school all afternoon and doing homework in the evening, I can finally enjoy working. A real job at a real company (as opposed to mowing the occasional lawn in my neighborhood) has been something I have wanted, but not feasibly been able to accomplish for the last few years. As of last weekend, I now have two jobs, one at the YMCA in Dripping Springs, TX refereeing youth sports and another at Cow Tipping Creamery, an ice cream parlor. When I’m not blowing a whistle at 6 year old soccer players or masterfully mixing Mexican vanilla and Oreo cookies, I am working at an internship, reading, editing this site, leading youth in bible study and worship, lifting weights, running, climbing, hiking, playing music or hanging out with friends.
Another activity that I spend time on is basketball. I have a possible opportunity to play College basketball (which I am very excited about). College basketball is physically very different from high school. Players are taller, faster, and stronger. So in order to match those qualities, I have to work very hard this year to meet those requirements. I already have the tall aspect (6’7″ and still going), the stronger and faster aspects are what I devote my attention to. I follow a rigid workout program ( which I created based on research, advice, and knowledge I have acquired from high school workouts with our strength trainer) and it has worked surprisingly well. I now am dedicating my research to figuring out the best way to maintain a high cardio proficiency without losing the muscle that I have worked so hard to gain.
In addition, I eat… a lot. So, I have revitalized an old hobby: cooking. I enjoy cooking some meals with my parents as well as improving my barista skills with our new espresso machine. Both of my parents love cooking and baking, which gives us another means to connect and grow our relationships.
If anything, my gap year is not free time, rather available time well spent doing things that will improve my mind, body and spirit. I try to read the bible each morning, learn from it and enable myself to live better based on what I read. I try to read, research or write most days in order to keep my academic skills up and I constantly improve my fitness to increase my chances at college basketball and enable me to live an overall healthy lifestyle. These activities and others are growing me into an adult, which will in turn provide a better platform to build my college life around next fall.
J. Fletcher Brown 