29 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

Lesson 4

"Eat your T-shirt"

Food is important to me. In fact, I would even go as far as to say food is important to EVERYONE. And not only is it important, but it can taste really good too. Overall food is awesome, maybe that's why this lesson was so hard for me.

It started when I went on my first travel team meet. We took a bus up the pool where we were staying for three days. It was fun, my teammates are awesome the pool was fast and the t-shirts they were selling were awfully cute. Let me emphasize this: really cute. The coach didn't tell us we would have to buy our own meals, and as such most of us had only brought a little bit of money for the weekend. I myself had only brought $50 with me, and at $10 per meal for three days... $50 wasn't going to cut it. But I bought the T-shirts anyway.

Who needs food right? I mean, sure I was at a swim meet and it was really tiring but the hotel had free breakfast and I had mastered the art of squirreling away food, so I'd survive. 

I proudly folded my newly bought t-shirt and placed it in my bag. As we headed out to the bus, I was slightly wary of the fact that I didn't have enough money, but I wasn't really worried. 

We piled onto the bus and I threw my heavy swim bag into the overhead compartment and plopped down onto the seat. My hair which had frozen in theshort walk from the pool to the bus, started to defrost and the cold water trickled down my neck and into my parka. I shivered but ignored it.  

The bus started moving and my teammates and I began to settle down as we saw our coach stand up at the front of the bus and begin to speak.

"Good job today, everyone," he began "You should be proud of yourselves, we looked like a team today."

(In contrast to yesterday where we couldn't decide whether to put our kneeskins on before or after practice, so we wandered and stalled until we suddenly realized warm-up was now and we should have already been on the pool deck. Lesson Learned: You're not a sheep, don't wander.)

"We are going back to the hotel now, and there is pizza and salad being delivered. Margaret is going to come around to collect your money."

I sat in my seat for a moment before coming to a stunning recollection: I was lactose intolerant. I didn't eat Pizza. I ate dough and sauce, which didn't really taste good. 

Then I had a second thought: This could be my chance to save some money, maybe they would let me pay only $5 for the salad, because I wasn't going to eat the pizza.

I stood up and walked to the front of the bus were the coaches all sat.

"Excuse me?" I asked in my best polite voice, "But I'm lactose Intolerant so I'm not going to eat the pizza, so can I just pay $5 for the salad?"

The coaches exchanged glances and seemed to go over the question in their head.

"One second," Coach Darren said

I stepped back and row and let the coaches talk.

Finally after much deliberation, they motioned for me to come forwards. 

"Sure," Coach Darren said, "Just pay the $5, but don't tell any one ok?" he asked

"Thank you, I won't." I promised

He nodded and I took that as a dismissal and walked back to my seat. 

Margaret was just getting to my row. 

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a $5 bill. 

"Here," I said handing it to her.

She looked at me confused, "It's 10," she said

I nodded, "I know, but the coaches said I could pay $5 since I'm lactose Intolerant and won't be eating anything except for salad anyway."

She stared at me like I had grown a second head, "Do you have a $10?"

I shook my head, "No,"

Meanwhile, one of my friends sitting in the row across from me overheard teh end of this conversation. 

"That's ok!" She told me kindly, "I can loan you money."

"No, it's okay." I replied, "See, I have the money, but I.. The coaches said since I'm not eating the pizza I could just pay five."

"Why aren't you eating the pizza?" She asked

"I'm lactose Intolerant."

"Oh, I idn't know that she replied."

I nodded.

Meanwhile Margaret was standing there growing quite impatient.

"Do you have the money?" she asked again

I sighed, this conversation was going no where. Reluctantly I reached back into my pocket and pulled out a $10.

She quickly plucked it out of my hand and continued her stroll down the bus aisle before I could even bat an eyelash.

My friend stared from across the row at me, "I thought you only had to pay $5."

I stared for a moment before sighing, "Yeah, but it wasn't worth it."

I shrugged, "Besides, I felt bad paying less."

The last day of the trip dinner time, Margaret came around for her last 'tax collection'.

I dug into my pocket hoping magically that a $10 would come out, but I knew that it wouldn't, I had only a $5. 

"I only have a $5." I told Margaret, "I literally have no more money."

She looked confused for a moment as if she didn't know what to do.

"Oh, okay then, I guess I'll take that and just tell the coaches." she took the five and turned to leave.

"Wait," My friend Rayna cried out. "I can pay the rest for you," she told me "you can pay me back at practice."

"I can't do that." I told her.

"Its fine." Margaret said warily

"No here." Rayna shoved a $20 bill in my hand. "This is for me and you. Give me the $5 back Margaret.." she said

Margaret did so, but walked away looking even more confused. 

"Thanks," I told Rayna, "I really appreciate that, you didn't have to help me." I thanked her

She nodded, "No big deal."

I leaned back in my seat and relaxed.

All those muffins I had stowed away in my bag were unneeded now. I had made it through the weekend.

I had truly come to appreciate and relate to squirrels over this weekend. I understood how it felt to hide food for fear that you wouldn't have enough to last the winter. I felt a kindred spirit towards them. 

I reached into my bag and pulled out a muffin that I had snuck in there. 

I bit into it and thought.

"Next time, I'm going to be better prepared and I will keep my priorities in place. 'Cause no one wants to eat a t-shirt."