Sweat is pouring down you back and racing down your chest. You heave and gasp for breath that doesn't seem to enter your lungs. The ruck sack on your back that seemed so light upon your back at the beginning is now weighing you down and feels about 90 pounds rather than the small 35 it really is.
You have already made it to the nine mile marker and it seems as if that last mile is going to be your downfall. You are feeling about ready to collapse with exhaustion. You see the van pull up to you and stop to ask you if you need to quit and you don't hesitate to wave them on and to tell them that you are fine. You see your parents in your mind telling you that you are stupid and that you cannot ever make it at anything and that you will never win. You see all the people that told you that you would never down anything that you can be proud of, that you will always be a failure.
Then you see your beautiful girlfriend and you see all the happy times that you and her have had together and you remember the realy reason why you are doing this and you have a feeling of elctricity as you realize that above all else you cannot lose this race. You cannot lose because of her.
So you quit the power walk that you have been doing and you set your sights on the only competition that you have in front of you and you set off at a dead sprint. Your feet sound like thounder each time your ROTC Army ACU Boots hit the ground and you pass the competition and continue sprinting and finish at first place. You drop the ruck sack and fall to the ground panting with a feeling of elation overcoming you.
The College ROTC commander and the Army Recruiter come up to you and shake your hand and say much the samething, "I believe that we can make this work."
Your girlfriend comes up to you and asks what they said and you look her in the eyes and tell her, "Babe I love you, and I will be able to take care of that baby. THEY ACCEPTED ME!!!!!"