We all have our own comfy couch.

   On September 15 the author of Outcasts United came to speak to the freshmen class of Southern Connecticut State University. I thought Warren St. John was very inspiring on what he had to say about his book and how it connected to him as well as me. How does Outcast United connect to my life?
   Warren St. John flew out to Clarkson, Georgia a typical southern town with little diversity. He went to go watch the Fugees play soccer to see if he had a story to write. Well he realized he did, when he saw the home team with all the typical soccer gear and so many fans on their side. However for the Fugees side, they had no one. Warren St.John realized how lucky he was to grow up with so much support from his friends and family and I was too. I am so lucky that when I played basketball we had so much support from our classmates and our families. Our stands would be filled and it would be such a good feeling when you know the ones who care are there for you cheering you on in the stands. Warren also wanted to know, how kids from rival ethnics groups connect together and play soccer. As I was reading this part, I was very eager to read further and see how kids from all over the world that might even be in countries that are rival enemies, come together for the love of soccer. It was just like college. People with different ethnicity backgrounds are all together in one university and they usually go to the people that they are most comfortable with, their "comfy couch". Jocks sit with all the jocks at one table. Then you see all the girls that cheerlead at another and then you see all the Indians together at another table. There was not a Luma here to divide people into different groups to force everyone to be one no matter what the color skin or the language. That is how she changed the Fugees's life.
http://www.outcastsunited.com/content/outcasts-united-team-town-coach    
     I could really connect to Luma while I was reading about her background of coming to the Americas with nothing. I could connect how she felt out of place not knowing a single person and having so much responsibility. She had to get a job and supply herself food, a home, and clothing. The connection I made was the security of being at home "your comfy couch", having your friends, a job, and your family and having not much of  responsibility, and now making a huge step and coming into college. You left your "comfy couch" and moved on to something you were unsure of. Well Luma left her "comfy couch"(comfort zone), just like I did and she had to be on her own by herself with no support of her family. Including Luma and myself, there are two other connections that also connect to us. For myself, I am transitioning to college, Clarkson transitioning to becoming more diverse, the Refugees transition to a life in a strange town with not the same culture as they were use to, and coach Luma who had to transition to make a new life for herself. We all have the same thing in common, undergoing transition in our lives.
http://www.outcastsunited.com/content/about-warren-st-john