Chapter 1
Overcoming Hurdles
Cody Thompson
“Ow that hurt,” groaned Edward as he tumbled on the ground
“You’ve got to be more careful sweetie,” replied his mom, as she helped him to his feet.
“I’ll never get it down, this is impossible.”
“No it is not Edward, maybe with a couple more tries and you can do it.
He stood up, took a deep breath, and started running as fast as he could toward the hurdle. His mind was racing and his palms were drenched in sweat as he jumped, only to hit the obstacle, stomach first.
“Oof,” he fell on the ground and started crying. “This will never work.”
Suddenly blood started rushing down the back of his leg.
“Oh my god! Edward! You’re bleeding!” exclaimed his mom.
After looking at his wound, Edward started crying even more, not just for his failure, but for his pain and agony. His mom quickly called his father to get the car. They then drove to the nearest medical center.
At the hospital, he was placed gently in a reclined chair. The doctors washed the blood and placed three strips of gauze around the wound.
“That was a pretty big cut son!” the father said angrily, “how in the world did you get it?”
He looked at his mom, “Well” he began, “I uuh-um”
“You what?!” His father now yelled.
“He was doing it again,” his mother interrupted. “The thing.”
“The thing, what thing?”
After a pause, Edward finally said “I was doing the obstacle course again.”
“Edward!” screamed his father, “I told you not to do that ever!”
“But I-”
“Ssshh,” said the mom, “the doctor is here,” she looked at him. “What’s the news?”
“Well,” the doctor explained. “Your son’s leg will be just fine, it was only a cut that hit a small vein causing an excessive amount of blood.
“Phew,” the parents both sighed in relief.
“But, I am sorry to inform you that something else has unfortunately occurred.”
“Well what is it doctor?” the mother asked.
The doctor paused for a brief moment, Edward stared as the words slowly came out of the his mouth.
The doctor said, “your son has Dyspraxia.”
For a moment the mother was shocked, and her face slowly turned into a state of agony as she began to sob.
“It’s a disorder that lessons the coordination of a person, making them mentally and physically dysfunctional,” the doctor informed.
“Dear god, what are we going to do?” the dad asked.
The doctor sighed, “I’m sorry to say that your son will be unable to be involved in any form of physical activity at all.”
“What?” Edward asked, “but what about my obstacle course?”
“Well maybe it’s time you do something else besides that,” his mother said as she kneeled beside him.
Edward sat in the doctor’s room with disappointment and discouragement. In life, all he wanted to complete was that goddamn obstacle course. He felt as though his life had just been split apart into two.
Edward asked his mother “well what the hell am I going to do then, MOM.”
“You can learn to play chess, or learn to paint like Picasso, and you can even focus more on school now,” his mother stated in a delighted, high-pitched voice.
“All that stuff is for losers Mom!” Edward cried.
Edward thought to himself, “maybe I could get away with doing the obstacle course, but if my parents find out, they are literally going to kill me, or even worse I could get myself killed by the course because of my stupid disease!”
However, this was a risk Edward was willing to take, and he was not going to back down from the incredible challenge.
Furthermore, Edward just sat in the hospital...waiting...thinking how he could get away with conquering the excruciating obstacle course.
While the doctor was writing up Edward’s diagnostics, Edward’s mother repeated “So, Edward will NEVER be able to participate in physical activity.”
“Yes never,” the doctor stated.
The word “NEVER” started pounding into Edward’s small little head.
He was distraught by the idea that he was unable to compete in any athletics.
However, Edward was the type of guy to never give up on an opportunity. He seeked out to find his destiny in the midst of any situation. This was an opportunity to not only prove his family wrong, but also the whole medical industry. He really thought about the situation, and came to the realization that this obstacle course is more important than life itself. He was no longer going to be looked at as a little boy who did not accomplish the greater things in life.
Nothing was going to stop Edward, in fact, everything was just motivating him even more.
As the doctor was continuing to write up the diagnostics on the sheet of paper, Edward just thought to himself, “You are going to regret writing up that yellow slip of paper.”
Then, a sudden scream came out of Edward’s mouth, “I do not have Dyspraxia! I do not have Dyspraxia!”
Edward’s Mom patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’m sorry sweetie, but you do, the doctor even confirmed it.”
His Mom’s voice became like a shrieking peirce to his ear. He wanted to punch her in the face right then and there. Edward felt as if nobody believed in him, but that was all going to change. He was going to conquer the obstacle course, no matter what it took.
Edward was walking around the hospital and he felt as though everyone thought he was disabled or something.
He thought to himself “everyone is treating me like a five year old who can’t say the goddamn alphabet or something.”
Edward’s mom turned to him and stated “Edward do you want to go get ice cream after we’re done to make you feel better.”
But the only thing Edward wanted was hope from his peers, not just a casual old dollar ice cream from the local store.
The doctor stated his final words, “I’m sorry to state that you have Dyspraxia. Hopefully you can do something that entertains you and keeps you happy.”
“Dyspraxia my ass,” Edward abrupted.
Edward’s Mom and Dad were furious with Edward’s language, and suddenly weren’t trying to make their little boy feel better anymore.
They angrily yelled to Edward “let’s just get out of here.”
Edward was actually pleased with the way they were acting because he was no longer the only one who was mad. At this point, Edward didn’t want to feel happy, he just wanted to stay upset.
When Edward finally got to go home with his parents, Edward’s Mom and Dad slammed the door that sent out an echo of frustration and anger.
Edward’s parent’s got in the car and both angrily stated, “you should be ashamed of yourself right now.”
The truth of the matter was Edward’s parents were not upset about Edward’s foul language, but rather that Edward was upset and that they were going to have to deal with another setback.
Edward did not say a single word the whole ride home from the hospital.
His parents, on the other hand, were saying all kinds of stuff, “do you have anything to say for yourself,” and of course they threw in the “we are not even mad anymore, just disappointed.”
Edward finally responded when they arrived in their house parking lot, “Mom...Dad I already understand that I disappoint you, in fact it seems like that is all I do for chrissake. Mistake after another and you can always rely on me to mess everything up, so yes Mom and Dad, trust me, I already understand that you are disappointed.”
Edward ended with a final ending statement, “Mom...Dad when have you ever ever told me you were proud of me?”
The parents stressfully repled “Uh...uh….well….we-”
“Exactly,” Edward interjected in defiance.
Edward slammed the door right in their face with utter confidence.
As soon as he took his footsteps toward the doorway though, his confidence then turned to anger, which then turned to tears dripping from his eyes.
Edward felt like he was a useless figure, and he was starting to lose hope. His soul shrunk to pieces. He had not a care in the world to go through with his future plans.
Edwards parents were walking in the house, full of guilt. They could not believe they never actually congratulated their son. After 16 years, they never congratulated Edward. As Edward’s Mom was scrolling through Facebook, she awoke upon all of the posts stating “My son made honor roll, my son commited to UCLA, I’m so proud of my son for winning his tennis match.”
The truth of the matter was that Edward’s parents only focused on depleting him for his negatives, instead of building him up through his positives.
Edward’s parents were walking to his room with their heads down in shame, “Edward,
Edward, Edward!”
Edward had no response.
His parents shouted one more time, “Edward, Edward!!”
He just kept the door sealed shut.
Finally the shameful parents stated, “Edward...we are really sorry. We never focused on how awesome you really are. We never told you how amazing you are. How nice you’ve always been and how you always open the door for us, and how you always treat everyone with respect.”
Edward finally responded, “that’s complete bullshit”
Edward’s parents started whimpering
Edward sat there, and started to see that his parents were actually genuine. That they actually cared for him. It actually made him feel happy in a way.
He finally opened the door for them. His parents came in and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
Edward still resented the kiss because what 16 year old boy wouldn’t.
They held the hug for a few minutes though. Edward started to shed a tear and then quickly wiped it off.
For once in Edward’s life, he finally felt like his parents loved him.
He stared into their glassy eyes….
“Mom...Dad...I still want to conquer that obstacle course.”
Edward’s parents realized how much hope and desire Edward really had.
Edward’s parents paused for a moment, a few seconds at least, and then encouragely replied, “Edward...you can do whatever you want.”
Edward gave a little smile back at them.
“Do it for us Edward” his parents passionately stated.
“No,” Edward responded
“Well why Edward…”
“Because I am doing it for myself as well,” Edward projected.
Edward’s determination was radiating off of him.
He decided then and there that he was going to accomplish the obstacle course.
Now Edward had to think…
“Why can I never make it over the hurdle and how am I going to do it with my debilitation?” he pondered
As Edward thought about his last attempts with the obstacle course, it was always the hurdle that he couldn’t get past. He thought and thought and then suddenly a light bulb went off.
“If I try diving over it rather than going feet first I might be able to get over easier!” He thought to himself
“Well if i’m going to dive over then i’m going to need to summersault out of it”
Edward walked out into the backyard and started slowly, but surely perfecting his plan. First he practiced the summersault.
“Ooof!” He exclaimed. “This is going to be harder than I thought”
Edward almost gave up when he remembered that he was stronger than this and he was going to achieve it.
After some time Edward got down the summersault and before he new it he was doing a full dive somersault.
“Maybe I can do this!” Edward excitedly thought to himself.
Edward slowly, but confidently paced himself over to the obstacle course. He ran, jumped, and strived through the obstacle course with ease. He approached the end; where he then saw the life-threatening hurdle. He saw his parents watching, cheering and screaming. He had to prove he wasn’t going to let his condition hold him back. Not now...not ever.
Edward paused for a moment. The hurdle was much bigger than he had ever attempted when practicing his dive roll. He looked over to his parents and they shouted
“You got this!” “You can do it”
Edward looked back at the hurdle, took a deep breathe, and started running towards it. One step, two step, three step, he gained speed and quickly started approaching the hurdle. He took one more deep breathe and on his exhale launched himself headfirst over the hurdle.
It was as if time was going in slow motion for Edward, but before he knew it he was back on the ground.
“Woooohoooooo!!!” cheered his parents.
Edward took a moment to collect himself and then realized what he had done. He had just made it over the large hurdle and executed a perfect dive roll over it meaning he had also finished the obstacle course!
“I did it!” Edward cried in rejoice.
His parents finally stated the the words, “I am proud of you son.”
Edward gave them the biggest hug and balled into their arms, “I love you Mom and
Dad, thanks for all the support you gave me”
“We love you too Edward,”the two proud parents whispered in sync, “we knew you could do it.”
Edward now knew that he could do whatever he wanted if he put his mind to it. He came to the realization that nothing was impossible; he would be unstoppable from this day forward.
