Nobody gets a new beginning

Early Tuesday morning Charlie Davies was badly injured, several broken bones and a lacerated bladder, in a car accident near my home (clogging roadways for five hours). This accident is tragic on multiple levels. Davies is a forward starter for the US National soccer team and as a result of the car accident there is a possibility eight months from now he will not be recovered enough to play in the World Cup. Every decent soccer player dreams of playing in the World Cup, an event occurring once every four years. He was not the driver (who so far has remained unidentified) of the vehicle and was only one of two passengers. The other passenger, Ashley J. Roberta, was killed. All we know about her is she was 22 and from Phoenix, Maryland.

I am not a fan of celebrities. I definitely support athletics... but even so I attempt not to glorify athletes. Regardless of what you want to believe they are regular people with extreme athletic talent. They get paid (probably too much) to play sports. You get paid to teach or sell cars or perform open heart surgery. We all assert our individual talent differently and we all have to make a living. This being said, this incident is hard for me to comprehend. A girl my age (alarm!!!) died. Her life is over and all we worry about is how this will affect the US National soccer team. Do not get me wrong, I was looking forward to the World Cup just as much as the next person. After all, it is taking place in the country engulfing my new home. Maybe Davies has more to his story. While he endured possibly life threatening injuries he lived. There is more to report on. Her story has ended. Should we close the book and move on? I doubt we are closing the book, most of us never heard her story. We are too wrapped up in Davies and what it means for the team. I sincerely hope he recovers to his previous soccer potential in the the predicted six to twelve months. I also think everyone deserves a fair chance at life. At my age death is still so hard to comprehend. If someone I know died, for them, I would want to go out an live the best life I could. Davies, I am pulling for you. Live for Roberta!

Last I checked, besides not mentioning the driver... alcohol and drugs have been left out of the story. It is hard from me to believe that at 3:15AM on a Tuesday morning one or both of these substances was not in the picture. So many of my friends drink and drive. Its terrible! I should de-friend them (at least on facebook). Athletes are supposed to be role models. Part of their job (in my professional opinion) is to behave presentably in public. When the rest of the world might find it difficult to get hired because of a past DUI or a casual relationship with drugs you (the athletes) are constantly covered and given second chances. You get paid a lot of money. The least you could do is show some respect for the children and fans who look up to you. To my friends who get behind the wheel while intoxicated (and athletes too) have some respect for your life... and those lives you threaten to affect in the case of an accident.

It's unfortunate that is takes an accident like this to wake us up from the coma we call life.

Side Note: I realize in this post I harp on how overpaid athletes are. Major League Soccer players are not really overpaid, compared to other sports they are probably underpaid. This is just one of many second chance stories for athletes. I would think it was unprofessional and stupid for any sane member of society to operate a vehicle under the influence. The way our society is based the 'nobody' (Roberta in this case) would have been neglected... the athlete, the politician, the celebrity would have made the story public.