Delilah and I made our way to the St. Patty’s Day Volleyball Tournament early that Saturday. I can’t help it, I was nervous. So much so that my stomach was churning and I had to ask her to pull over three times on the way there, embarrassing, but true. I can’t really explain why I was so nervous, just that I had this horrible fear of making a fool of myself on my re-entry into the world after breakup. I’d not played volleyball since middle school P.E. and I really wanted to make a good impression on these new people that I was going to be meeting.
In between our numerous stops, Delilah assured me that all levels of players were going to be there and that I was worrying too much.
“Why are you so nervous? There is really no reason for you to be. People will be drinking anyway. You worry too much,” Delilah assured me.
“I don’t know why I am so nervous. I just am. I feel like I keep reintroducing myself ‘into the wild,’ and every time it’s a little more nerve wracking than the last,” I said slumping down in my seat.
“You think too much,” Delilah said laughing.
“I know,” I grumbled pitifully.
We pulled up to a large covered area, I expected to see picnic tables, but instead it was a football sized sand pit. A part of the area looked like it was set up for dirt bikes, while a corner had six volleyball nets with people practicing, wandering around, and sitting in fold up chairs on the edges of the sand courts. Even from a distance I could tell that the people practicing were good, I mean REALLY good, way better than middle school P.E.
“Delilah, I think I have to go to the bathroom again.”
“Just stop, Mindy, you’re being crazy—and honestly—you need to just be your normal confident self. I know Aaron took your self-confidence on a trip. He’s a jackass, everyone thought so and you’re better off without him. Now, all you have to do is have fun and enjoy all the hotties.”
