A Clear Path and Direction

When it was my first year in the state university, the goal was crystal clear, graduate and get out. Easier said than done, the first year was no exception, in fact it was my biggest struggle in my college experience. Resources were harder to find than bees in the winter, new environment adjustment, demanding professors (as oppose to community college instructors), minimal financial assistance etc. As a result, my grades were discouraging and the original goal started to fade. There wasn't really a recipe or a dummy guide for this situation except time and effort are the essential key to dealing with it. The difficult part was to be committed to it but as simple as may be, all i had to do was to choose to be committed to it. After that, everything starts falling into the right places, my grades has improved, new environment became a home, the resources didn't just become available but they became my friends.

That's how I picture the Detroit Pistons from the time Billups blew a bitter sad (sweet) good bye kiss to Piston Land and welcome A.I. to the team. It took them few tries to get a win with A.I., starting line up were shuffled, everybody's role were unclear and the Pistons-A.I. marriage was a new environment that required period of adjustment. As a result, there was a lack of consistency on which Pistons team would show up on a game basis. This includes the seven game winning streak, where everyone thought all the riddles were solve. However, when the starting line up has been concluded based on the games played everyone started to realize everyone's specific assignment, furthermore, accepting them. Rip's accepting the sixth man role is a prime example. After that, everything started falling into better (right) places, that has started with Rockets-Pistons game this month. Although the number of wins may not tell you so, the effort and consistency of team were clearly there. Last night's game against the Celtics was no different, the intensity and consistency were present and the game had a classic playoff atmosphere, especially after the Maxiell-Perkins encounter. I was so upset that the game ended in the hands of the Celtics but I realized that there's a clear path and direction for the Pistons now.