Erik: Saving Goals and Lives

By Bryanna Denham

As we sat in the hallway by the stairs next to the elevator, Erik was describing to me his passion for soccer, and that his favorite thing about it is how he is able to express himself through it. He added that soccer sometimes “comes with a lot of pressure” but that he would like to play more in the near future. He explained that he also used to swim and run track for school, but he quit both in order to play club soccer for the Boston Bolts. I asked him a follow-up question on what kind of soccer teams he follows on social media and he replied with “FC Barcelona and the Revs.”

As we segued into the next topic, we discussed animals that he might have or used to have, and he had told me that in his past he had a dog named Maya. “She was a beagle mix,” he replied. She was a dog that Erik used to have in elementary school, but sadly passed away as a result of “eating something in the woods she wasn't supposed to,” he explained. To me it seemed like Maya was his best friend and that he really cared for her a lot. Erik told me he doesn't have any pets as of right now. To avoid the risk of hopping on to a sad topic as we continued with the interview, we discussed traveling. Erik told me he would like to travel to places like Spain, Europe, and primarily Barcelona in the future. As we sat there on the stairs, I asked him another question. I learned that when he was little he used to play the drums. He was pretty good at it too, but he no longer plays because he had given up on it.

As for what Erik does in his free time, he told me that he doesn't have a job, but that he does a lot of volunteering work. For example, he volunteers at church, he’s a counselor at Kids’ Camp, and he is also a coach for the high school’s soccer team. “I love it because in all three I get to meet new people and see a little of what they go through based on the way they act and carry themselves and others,” he says to me.

As we moved along to a different topic for this interview, Erik told me the life-changing experience that he had when he was at Martha's Vineyard: “I saved a little girl from drowning after she jumped off the bridge.” He explained that this girl would have drowned without his help, and to me it seemed like he was proud of doing something for someone else who really needed the help. “The funny thing is I have absolutely no lifeguard experience,” he remarked. For someone with no lifeguard experience whatsoever, it seemed to me like he did a pretty good job and did a really good deed for someone in need.

I proceeded to ask Erik if there were any other life-changing stories that he has experienced, and he told me that there was nothing else that comes to mind. As we proceeded toward the end of our interview, I asked Erik if he had any siblings. “No, I'm an only child,” he responded. I asked him if he likes being an only child and he replied with “Yes, I do.” As I wrote this log, I got to learn more about Erik and what he wants to do in the future and what his qualities are as a person.