Inexperience Is an Experience

This post is dedicated to my amazing friend Denny Muha. I had the honor to play  wheelchair basketball with Mr. Dennis for two years while at the University of Illinois. We bonded over our trips to the late-night cafeteria full of semi-philosophical conversations and a wide variety of Coca-Cola products.

As one of my last rites of living in Illinois I took a trip to Champaign about two weeks before I moved down to Birmingham in 2006. I had a wonderful time during the shenanigan filled weekend, but something Denny said during a mellow Sunday afternoon conversation has always stuck with me.

I was hypothesizing with Dennis about whether or not I had wasted my college years. I was a very scared kid in more ways than one during my college years. There was no question I was a driven person, but looking back I was more afraid to fail then desiring to win.

A perfect example  is how I studied 16 hours over a weekend for my first ever marketing test. This was not a final just a regular test. Other than eating in the cafeteria I locked myself in my apartment for the entire weekend.  I got 100% on the test, but could I have gotten 100 after studying for just 12 hours and then work on other skills during the other four?

When I had this conversation with Denny I was extremely concerned that my social skills were lacking in some way and going to a new place where I knew practically no one was daunting.

Denny was extremely wise in his response.  He said something to the effect "Sure you didn't go to many parties and some of your skills might be unrefined,  but your inexperience is an experience. You never know when something you read locked in your apartment three years ago could come in handy down the road."

 A specific example does not come to mind but I know Denny's words are the truth. His wise words  can be applied to so many lives. We can always attempt to rebuild a bridge  with someone, but outside of that there is little we can do to change our pasts. Use what you know to make the best future you can. No matter who you are you have experiences so use them to push forward and  make your dreams come true!

Peace and love to all my friends and a special thank you to Denny!

Chris