Jordan delivers hope to American public
by Tara Bordeaux, reporter

    At a time when all seems lost in our great nation, a touch of hope and greatness is returning to us in the form of Michael Jordan.

    I would be lying if I said I am happy he is returning.

    I am not happy; I am ecstatic.

    Jordan gave me hope during some of the most difficult times in my life, and he does not even know it.

    For nine seasons, I followed Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. I watched him win; I watched him lose, but I never missed a game.

    I cheered the Bulls through all three of their NBA titles until Jordan made the decision to retire in 1993.

    When he left the game after his father’s death, I was heartbroken. I thought life would never be the same again.

    The following year was what I thought was the worst ever. My grades were slipping in school; I quit the basketball team, and my grandmother died—all in a few short months.

    My life as I knew it no longer existed. I had changed for the worst, and I was falling faster everyday. I left school, found a job and forgot my dreams.

    And I forgot about Michael Jordan until the day he returned to the NBA in 1995.

    I watched a game one night on television, but I did not feel the same. I was still lost.

    However, after a few minutes of watching the game, I realized what was wrong.

    I had lost hope, but somehow, Michael Jordan was bringing it back to me.

    Every game after that, I was mesmerized once again by Michael Jordan. For three more seasons I watched with intensity as Jordan and the Bulls brought three more titles to Chicago. I thought, if Jordan could still follow his dreams after losing his father, there was still hope for me to do the same.

    And I am doing the same. I am becoming a writer.

    In 1994, I thought I had seen the worst life has to offer. I was wrong. This year has definitely been worse.

    People have lost more this year than I could ever imagine losing. On Sept. 11, they lost spouses, children, siblings, parents and friends.

    But they have not lost hope.

    Instead, they remain strong and wait patiently for loved ones to return.

    Every day since Sept. 11, I have been unable to get back into a normal life. I feel guilty whenever I find myself having a good time; and when I forget, no matter how briefly, about those souls still lost, I get angry with myself.

    But today, I have regained something I was beginning to lose again. Once more, I have found hope with the help of Michael Jordan.

    I see the faces of children on the news who are excited about going to a basketball game to see Michael Jordan; standing next to those children are the fathers who are thankful and happy that they can take their children to a game.

    Seeing their faces provides me with some solace. Their joy helps me to realize that whatever tragedies Americans face, we will overcome the pain and become stronger than before.

    I want to thank Michael Jordan for restoring hope in the lives of so many.

    His return to the NBA is bringing hope and greatness back into our hearts.

    But I have to ask myself, “Does he even know it?”