Futuristic Eyes

The worst day of my life. I remember sitting on my back patio and telling my mom that this was the worst day of my life. In Eighth grade, I had a huge friend group, like ten girls, and every single one of them played volleyball. I knew I wasn’t great, but I had put in so much work that summer, I went to private lessons, every summer practice there was, and even practiced in my backyard. Finally, the day came and we all tried out for the team. I was nervous and excited and when it was my turn to talk with the coach and she was already crying I knew it wasn’t good. She told me my efforts didn’t go unnoticed, but she just didn’t have a spot for me and when I found out every single one of my friends were on the team my entire world felt like it was tumbling down around me. 

I went home that night and cried to my mom about how “This isn’t fair” and every time she came back to me with the same response, “Everything happens for a reason”. I brushed her off and rolled my eyes as any thirteen year old girl in my position would do and went to play on the trampoline with my younger sister. We played popcorn, and tag, and all of the games you could think of and then the begs of “please double bounce me” came about. I agreed, and on the third double bounce my sister came crashing down, landed on her leg wrong, and had broken it in two places. She was only four years old. My heart sank. How could this be happening to me? Could this day get any worse? I already got cut from the volleyball team and now I just broke my four year old sister's leg? How is there a reason for this? 

Little did I know that the “worst day of my life” would completely change the trajectory of my life. You see, it was when I got cut from the volleyball team that a teacher at my school, who just so happened to be a past state officer's mother, saw potential in me and introduced me to FFA. My parents were never in FFA, I had no obvious ties to agriculture, and I had never even heard of FFA before, but she took a chance on me. I am now a first generation FFA member, the first Hoosier degree, district officer, and state officer since my chapter has been rechartered. If only I could have seen how the worst day of my life would have subsequently turned into one of the best. 

With Futuristic Eyes, 

Sienna Alexander 

Indiana FFA State Reporter