Someone Special

He’s gone now. I won’t have him to help me get through the hard times and push me to go beyond what I think I’m capable of. He is my leader and friend. I will never forget all the screaming, pushing, and criticism that came from him and how his hurtful words helped me see the truth. Those same words drove me to do what I felt was beyond my reach. Now its 2012, I’m as tough as nails and I’m reaching further than I’d ever imagine.
It was 2009, band camp had just begun and it was my first year in High School. I was a nervous freshman and I really hoped to get a spot on the drumline. As I walked into the band hall I saw that it was enormous, a lot larger than the one I was use to in middle school. Looking lost and not knowing where to go, a student directed me to the percussion room he was kind of short, maybe an inch or two below the average height of the Mexican man. His head was large for his body which was tanned and thin like he had been outside all summer. He walked like he owned the place so I figured he was an upper classman, maybe a junior or a senior. His name was David and when he opened the door to the room a gush of freezing air hit my body making me rub my arms for warmth. David told me to just wait around the room and the teacher would be in soon. There was a group of boys gathered around a desk and David went to them and they started talking and laughing. A couple guys that I knew from my middle school were sitting down on the floor against some drums, so I went over and sat next to them. I could hear the guys talking to David, they were saying, “Hey dude how was it over there during the summer? Did you perform anywhere cool? Is drum core as hard as people say it is?”
Since I was confused because I didn’t know what drum core was, I just let it go and I didn’t bother asking questions. Our teacher Mr. Henry eventually came in and we had a mini audition for a tenor spot on the drumline. I was very confident in the way I played, but I was having doubts...