Tonight, I watched Michael Phelps carry in the US flag
representing the American team for the 2016 Olympics. He is seen as a role
model, something to strive for, a representative of the great country that is
the United States. Seven years ago, in 2009, Michael Phelps was in a much
different place. He was known for his recreational and illegal use of
marijuana.
During the summer of 2009, I was working my first job as a
swim instructor for my hometown’s public pool/recreational center. At one point
during the summer, I got a break from the two-year-old beginners and the baby
pool that surely contained urine and got to work with a group of fourth grade
boys. This was a much different experience. One day, we worked on kicking off
the wall to begin the swimming formation. I told them we were going to be “like
Michael Phelps.” One of the boys immediately responded “he’s a pothead.” I
quickly changed my analogy and tried to derail the snickering boys’ attention.
Michael Phelps made a significant comeback in the 2012
Olympics in London, becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time.
We all make mistakes. As long as we own up to them and bear
any possible consequences, they do not have to define us. The same with a
diagnosis. It’s something that happens to you and as long as you do not let it
define you, everyone else will eventually move on and will similarly not define
you by that abnormality. It doesn’t matter how many people know. It’s not about
keeping a secret. Sometimes that makes it worse. If Michael Phelps can move
from “Pothead” to “Olympian,” I and my peers can certainly move from “Depressed”
to “Content.”
