Your Weekly Townsend Fix Column 14

Hey everyone, well this column was of course, the delayed one. I would like to resume some sort of as everyone else is saying, "normality." I know I'm TRYING. Trying being the key word. I know it's hard but we slowly must rebuild our lives as a nation. One thing that's been distracting me lately is the absense of our TREX. He left me that post to thank me for that last Special Edition column. I don't know why, someone had to say it because it was the truth, he deserved it. But I do worry about him, after reading of his adventures in the Murrah building I can only pray that he won't come back with a scratch on him. I know his guardian angels are with him though, I know my Grampa is probably one of them. I hope all of you are keeping him in your prayers.

This week, I'm not sure quite how to be. Honestly, I'm tired. I walked 6 miles in Golden Gate parks on dirt roads with tree roots and stones. It was our annual Walk-A-Thon. I was so tired after that! I sang the entire time with my friend and my throat was so sore. After that I went to lunch at the Rainforest Cafe to celebrate 2 of my friends birthdays, one of my friends getting into the school play, and another friend making the Step Team. I got home in time to leave for across San Francisco to coach my first volleyball game. After a summer and couple weeks of practice, I still didn't think my team was ready. In fact I was ready to break out the "It's ok that you lost speech." The girls moved up an division and played the team that was the only team that beat them last season that left their them a 9-1 season. The girls were shattered after that game. The coach at that school called us out of rotation on their home turf. Naturally, it's their gym and we lost the game because it took our star server out of our vital line-up. To be playing this team as our FIRST game at THEIR gym was undoubtedly nerveracking. I was a wreck my mom hit traffic and I got there 15 minutes before the game and had to put together a line-up with Monica, the other coach. The gym is small, it's ceiling is low (not helping our high servers), and the spectators are RIGHT next to the court. The first game a bunch of 6th grade boys were distracting my girls. I was getting annoyed and was ready to take a volleyball and spike it at them to shake them up a little bit. I was pacing like a mad woman back and forth. One of the girls on the bench even asked me if I was ok and said she had never seen me so nervous.

We lost the first of 3 sets (we play best out of 3). The second set we were ahead 6-0. The coach, same as last year, said that a rule that applies for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade applies, one problem, Monica and I coach 6th grade. Monica and I corrected the mistake before they could gain points. The ref had never called a game so she asked for THEIR athletic director and of course she backed the opponent's coach. Luckily OUR director was there too. We had more of an advantage because our director has been playing the game for like 20 years. So we went with the RIGHT rules, and they couldn't get by with the wrongful call. The girls continued an awesome second set, even though we were robbed of a total of 3 points because of the line calls, the girls won 15-3. We then went to rally score. That means for every mess up for a team, the other team gets a point. The girls had that set to their advantage and won the second set 15-5. The girls won the team that caused their lost last year, tried to cheat them this year, and had distractions everywhere in the gym. I was so proud of them, they did it on their own and I was so happy. I can teach them how to spike, set, bump, and serve but I have no clue where their boost of morale and persistence came from. I don't think I would've been able to pull of anything of what they did that day. I would've given up, they kept trying and trying. They were good sports about it, they shook the other teams hand, unlike the other team, no tounges were stuck out, no hands were spit on, and no faces made. As a teenager, I still don't know if I would've been able to handle that. They taught me it and I went up to the other coach, who didn't join his team in the high-fives, and shook his hand. The girls showed that persistence, teamwork, sportsmanship, and rightful strategy can help them win.

Now, I bet you're asking, "what does this have to do with the fix?" I saw in a matter of 45 minutes, Townsend evolving over the past, 4 1/2 years. That's one of the reasons why I have always been proud of those girls, the show it everytime they play, that's why I still want to coach them. I bet you don't see it now, but you will. If you do see it, well then guess you'll have to wait for next week.

I wish I could word it more eloquently when I say, Townsend has the same story as my volleyball team. But I can't. I guess you can say that Townsend is St. Brigid's 6th grade girls' volleyball team...on another level...up a couple hundred notches. Townsend is like the team. I'm not saying that Townsend's a bunch of girls, trust me, they're not. Ever since I first saw Todd and Rye, I knew in my heart that there was something to them, I couldn't place it, but there was something about them that would be the reason I would keep seeing them. I did. Everytime I saw them until I talked to them a bigger group of people were around them. Everytime I saw them before I talked to them, they had more and more appeal to me. Everytime I saw them before I talked to them, I wanted to talk to them. It was so strange, I'm such a geek, really, I don't go up talking to guys and being like "Hey." But I did and just in time. A small "hey," was perfect timing, I was able to see them take step 2 in their transformation from WiLD 94.9. I didn't know that I had just hopped on to a roller coaster with it's ups and downs. And when I did, I didn't want to get off.

No one's going to say that a career never has its downs. Every career has its speed bumps and trials. The real question isn't whether or not you can stand it, it's HOW you're going to stand it. And no one's going to say that every performer on the market has well-earned respect. No one's going to say that EVERYONE plays the game of fame right. I won't go into names but we all kinda get the idea right? I'll be honest with you, when I realized that, it left the image I have of celebrities somewhat tarnished. I didn't know what happened to "good and real people." But Townsend, helped me to find what good and real is, in every sense of the word. I have a new found respect not for celebrities, but Townsend-like celebrities, with every bit of respect, cent, popularity, and fame, well-earned. Come on, be honest, can you seriously tell me that EVERY celebrity makes an honest living? That's what I thought. Townsend has definetly had their hurddles. But you know what? They haven't cheated their way around it. Trust me there's always that temptation and i'm sure the oppertunity was probably there a couple times but they haven't taken it. But I think that some artists get kicks out of lying, it gives them more of a imagination. Regular people do it too...I've got a GOOD example. Ok names will go un-named. In fact I'll just leave u with the fact that these couple of people go to my school. They had a class with me, it was odd because I was actually friends with them. Then again, freshman year, I was WAY too trusting of people. Anyways, they KNEW that I was heavily into Townsend, I guess I mentioned how I crushed on them. I said "I wish I went out with one of them." After my break up with my Mental-Lapse-Of-Judgement. Hey I was distressed and for all I knew, everyone was so tired of such the huge buzz that "Kristen broke up with a football player" that I thought they knew that I was saying things like that because I was just bugged out that I broke up. Now....the key word was WISH. They took what I said, took the word "Wish" out of it and restated it to a lot of people. God knows who they told but after a while people were asking me if I liked "Older guys." The first couple of times I joked and said "Ya older guys? Like who Townsend? Oh ya..." I said it playfully but without me knowing it I had justified what the no-named had said. Now, in a way, I wish I could tell you, since then people who heard of it had forgotten it, moved on with their life and the only thing they're talking about is the trig test. WRONG. People still remember and it still haunts me once in a while. It bothered me that sometimes people would be like "Hey you're that chick that dated Brian or Ryan right? No wait wasn't it like Don or Dom?" Thank God there are only a couple people and they're secluded into their own cliques and don't really talk to anyone not amongst each other, but still...what's up with that? Not only does it make me regret giving out my trust so willingly but it also brings back the memories of Freshman year and the so called-"Break of the Century." Sorry I'd hate to burst their bubble but the relationship was NEVER a relationship. Not like it bothers me but the break up story had me being stabbed in the back by not only my mental lapse of judgement but the first girl I made friends with at school...bet u can see the break-up now huh? Seriously, it's low, and wrong, and it's kept me more to myself. Now how does my high school horror story tie in with Townsend? No not that Townsend IS in the story, it's the point of the story. They got away with it. I never went to a counselor because that would've made it worse, I never started something with them because I had the rest of Freshman year with them and classes with them. The fact is they got away with it and still do it to yet other people, still getting away clean. Now, I can't even begin to tell you how many celebrities do that on another level. They lie and say they've done this better than them, been here first, and basically twist things to get what they want. Manipulative right? Well welcome to show buisness....not EVERYONE plays clean. Oh well...Well, I think I've spent more time writing about what Townsend ISN'T. I can put it plain and simple to you though, Townsend has ALWAYS worked hard and honest. It's their natural way though. They won't take shortcuts to get somewhere faster, they do it the "old fashioned way." It's amazing. Really it is because they're so honest. You would think people this perfect would have a flaw, looks like "Perfect" has been found! I'm so proud of them, I love them, I truly do because they represent everything I believe in and are awesome role-models to me. Every bit of what they get is earned because of hard work. If I could make the job easier in some way, shape or form, I would, I would do anything for those guys, my FAMILY would do anything for those guys, a BUNCH of us would do anything for those guys. If I could give them fame at the snap of my fingers, there would be some major snappin, but I don't know if they'd want it that way, they always work to get something. I don't know about you, but it's humbled me a lot. Really. If you think I'm lying, I dare you to confront me about it, because I have yet to meet anyone like Townsend.

Ok it's been a long one, I'll have another column very soon, I would like to get things back on track as soon as possible! Take care, have a great week and hope to hear from all of you soon! Stay Safe & Stay You.

Love Always,
Kristen

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