A Random Monday

[Marmaduke]

Matty Marshall is probably the greatest person out there at defining what it means to be a paintballer. What it means to play. This is one a few blurbs he's written about the sport. I did edit one part due to language.

Originally Posted by Matt Marshall

Matty Marshal-
"It happens on a random Monday, coming back from an event, or late on a sunday night, right before you get on the plane and you're about to be frisked for the third time. You're driving, you're flying, you're sitting in a airport seat with boys from the team. You're drinking stale coffee trying to stay awake, you're explaining the fat welt on the side of your neck to a confused stranger or a best friend. You're coming back to the other life; the one without paintball, where no one understands why you do it. You're tired. You're working off little sleep, the question creeps up and you try to ignore it. Why do I do this? Why the travel? Why the losses, and the missed work, the missed school, hours of practice and the complaining girlfriend? Because the lure of living a paintball life is just too potent, and the products of the road, the travel, are memories forever, and trips and strange lands with stranger people. At tournaments, it feels like, for once, you actually get to live as loud as you want. It's worth the sacrifices, it's worth all the bullcrap. Because if you work hard enough a Sunday will roll around and you'll be in the huddle, screaming, with your hand in, one among seven playing for the World Title. And suddenly, all those cliches you ever heard make sense, and you are defined. You say it to yourself and it means everything. I am a paintball player; and this moment, right here, is my life."

Now don't tell me that doesn't bring up any emotion, any memories of a certain event during a game, where you felt more alive than ever before.

[SkinWalk3r]

heh ! I got to meet him Sunday , laid back guy !

[SilentDeath12886]

Reminds me of the movie Blackhawk Down. One of the Rangers asks one of the Delta Force guys:

"When I go home people'll ask me, ""Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a [gosh darn] word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."

Also "Y'know what I think? Don't really matter what I think. Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that [stuff] just goes right out the window."

[VVulfe]

I've stumbled across this a few times before, and every time I find myself reading it, I catch myself nodding with a grin.

[Ghillie_55]

Man that is a great quote, too true too!

[Twigz]

So true! I live for Sundays, only to wear my welts with pride on Monday. I'm sure people think I'm a victim of abuse or something but I don't care, because, when I'm out on that field, I am in Heaven.