“CONVERSATIONS WITH THE HEART.” A Short Story by Shaun Grant

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was the third of four boys growing up on the rugged streets of New Orleans. I get a kick out of the laughs people express when I tell them that. I can admit, it’s hard for a lot of people to believe the man I’ve evolved into today.

At that time, my dreams of becoming an NFL superstar was all that I wanted. This became my first lesson in what unbridled dedication and hard work could do for me in life. I was a mama’s boy and I wasn’t really interested in girls that much, so for my mom I wasn’t much trouble. I just wanted to play football. At one point in my life, it had become my identity so much that I got the name “FOOTBALL SHAUN.”

I was destined for football glory, and gave every bit of my life to making it a reality. Then at the age of 21, it happened: A dreaded hamstring injury that derailed the only dream I had ever had in my short life. Not only did everyone else give up on me, but I gave up on myself. Depression would ensue and would soon lead to alcohol abuse. I flunked out of school and had to move back home with my mom.

Feeling like a failure was an understatement. Sometimes you get to a point in your life that feels so low, that all you can think about is not living anymore. It was, ironically, a cool…