How daily exercise helped keep me sane in American society.

[Temprano26]

We all get tired of these unhelpful attitude enthusiasts with their empty words of advice blaming the individual for having a bad outlook on life. That is bull. When I was on the plane back from Costa Rica I really was imagining that I would get a good job and have a lot of friends when I got back to Dallas. I really thought being an American again was going to be great but as it turned out when I came back people reminded me over and over again why I had to leave it for Costa Rica. People in Costa Rica were so friendly and helpful to me, always ridiculously happy and always super-polite. People there loved me for being different but when I came back to Dallas people disliked me for being different. Everywhere I turned someone was always judging me with their eyes or too absorbed into their phones to look at anyone else around them. Suddenly I was reminded like a ton of bricks why I was taking anti-depressants before going abroad and why I stopped taking them when I arrived in Costa Rica.

And getting a job was hard too because managers just said "I don't hire people without experience" even though we can't get experience if we are not hired. America is rotting from the inside because we disqualify people from even finding a starting point and then insult them by calling them "entitled". After months of frustrating job searches, I burned out and went into a depression. I am tired of how young people are treated like garbage in America. It makes me sick. Thankfully it was basketball season and I became obsessed with NBA basketball just as I was when I was a kid. One day, Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics broke Reggie Miller's three-point record of 2,560 career three-pointers and all of TD Garden cheered his name as I did. I was so inspired that I decided to go to LA Fitness and shoot three-pointers every day until I got to 2,561 then I was still frustrated in life so I kept going to 3,000 then 5,000 and I kept it up throughout the year until at the end I had 25,000 threes. That was three years ago and now I am at 64,777 threes. I don't do this to claim a world record; I do this for myself. If I didn't focus so much on shooting baskets I would have self-destructed years ago. I am still pissed off every day but I can always take comfort in that I am physically fit and that I never feel sluggish. People are too self-centered these days to give anyone else a helping hand so we have to help ourselves.

But the other thing I have noticed is that sports brings Americans together more than anything else. When the Mavericks won the championship in 2011 that was the most unified I have ever seen the city of Dallas. For a while everybody was happy. Then of course the Mavs lost the next year and everything went back to being anti-social and miserable again. So Dallas is still a pretty miserable place but I still go to LA Fitness every day because it is the only damn thing left that keeps me sane.

[Jester]

You have a lot of self-discipline (as well as honesty) and I give you credit for that.

Never looked at athletics this way. An outlet for the effort and love that you would give to others if you were connected to other humans.

A very positive attitude. The love still flows.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

Great inspirational post, Temprano 26. Dallas is an annoying pretentious place. It is the Los Angeles of Texas. Houston is the Chicago of Texas.

San Antonio is The Bronx of Texas. El Paso is the South Central Los Angeles of Texas.

Austin is the Washington DC of Texas.

Southern Texas is an extension of Northern Mexico really. LMAO

But seriously, in any event, just stay staying fit and keep shooting the goals and save up money anyway you can.

You might have to relocate to NYC and act like a f.aggot just to get a decent-salaried job there. Corporate NY is run by gays, Black American, and West Indian Afro- women now.

[zboy1]

Good for you, Temprano! Thanks for your post. I think the one thing we should emphasize more on HA, is getting into shape and physical fitness, along with good health. Even if things go to hell-in-a-basket in the USA, that's no excuse to let your health deteriorate into sickness.

[dancilley]

@Temprano26, why were the people so friendly in Costa Rica? Did they have the internet, TV, etc.? Or did they not watch any electronic screens? What I mean is, was there something substantially different about their environment that caused them to be so happy and friendly? I have heard that there is an abundance of fresh produce there...was that the reason? Or did the people there eat the standard American diet?