By Staff
Scot Beard
During the past few years, I have learned to function when I am under pressure.
At my previous job, I covered the sports programs at all eight schools in Limestone County for a paper that published everyday except Mondays. I was the only sports writer on staff.
I had started in the spring when several sports – baseball, softball, golf and track – were all in full swing, so I had to learn fast how to handle the pressure.
Eventually I went back to school to finish my degree in communications, which only added to the stress.
This fall I enjoyed covering sports here in Franklin County while I finished my final semester at the University of North Alabama.
In late November I tried transitioning from football to basketball while simultaneously writing a research paper for the most difficult class I have taken at UNA – Mass Communications Theory.
I was able to finish the paper during Thanksgiving and I passed the class.
I was taking another class, and the instructor kept me stressed out by not posting the grade for my final exam.
This was stressful because graduation was Friday and while I was sure I had passed, I was still nervous about the possibility of not being able to graduate.
I checked the graduation list Friday and thankfully, my name was on it – although I still do not know what my final grade was in the other class.
Seeing my name on the list should have been the end to my stress, but my family – which lives near Huntsville – did not leave until late Friday afternoon, so I was unsure if they would arrive in time for the start of the graduation ceremony.
I did not see them until I was walking into Flowers Hall at the start of graduation and saw them sitting in the upper deck.
My stress was over.
For the first time since, well to be honest I can't remember when, I do not have any thing to stress over.
I am not worried about school anymore, and my job seems to be going pretty well.
My house is in pretty good shape as all major repairs and projects have been completed.
Life right now is pretty laid back – and I can't stand it.
I have grown to love being under constant pressure, it is almost like an addiction.
When I am stressing over various things that have to get done in a short period of time, it energizes me.
Now that I have nothing to stress over, I have felt exhausted since Saturday morning.
My wife asked me last week if I wanted to continue my education and I told her I was done with school.
If I had known things would be this boring without the stress, I would have applied to graduate school several months ago.