Someone once told me that you have to be willing to put yourself out and ask for what you want. So here I am biting the bullet, preparing to be humiliated. Yesterday, the chief editor of The Best American Sports Writing series Glenn Stout tweeted a story I wrote about 2 All-American, 3 drafted NFL football players from the University of Alabama who saved my life in the F-5 Tuscaloosa Tornado 4/27/11 then took me to the Green Room at the NFL Draft 4/26/12. Dont’a Hightower, De’Quan Menzie and Nico Johnson guys were college roommates helping me do what I can’t do because I live with the inability to write (dysgraphia), to do arithmetic (dyscalculia), to see or feel fingers (finger agnosia) and to tell left from right (left-right disorientation). If it matters, I wrote this story right now because the Iron Bowl is in 4 days, I'm taking my little brother, and because Homecoming was last week. Prominent writers all tell me to go to graduate school for networking so I can one day be a great writer but I’ve been living hotel to hotel in Nashville and sometimes homeless so there is no way I would risk a student loan for a networking opportunity. It really feels great to be recognized for words by a guy like Mr. Stout who chooses the best sports writing year after year. Now all I want is for this story to be shared by someone other than family and friends this Thanksgiving and if you can read and tell me what you think that would be a dream. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikea4484cfcf8/2014-homecoming-at-the-university-of-alabama-wldj
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikea4484cfcf8/2014-homecoming-at-the-university-of-alabama-wldj