One of my favorite quotes of all time lies in the popular TV show, Lost. Repeated over and over, it goes, "Don't tell me what I can't do." John Locke was a handicapped man who just wanted to follow his dreams, but couldn't because someone told him what he could and couldn't do. Obviously, there are many limitations on this quote, but in this situation, I think it's great.

My friend, who goes by the alias Kubsniped is someone I met--already--5 months ago. We played Rocket League nearly every day, practiced after school and obviously, we developed a synergy. Many memorable moments stemmed from this friendship. There was one time, quite early in our friendship where he and I noticed we had the same ping, game after game. Eventually, we found out we live just miles away.

We learned from each other. He was particularly good at dribbling and maneuvering the ball, while I was good at aligning my car perfectly to tap the ball into the net. One of my favorite moments with Kub came shortly after one of my aerial goals. He noticed my car moving in a particular way--he didn't understand how I could rotate my car. After months of playing the game, he learned about the car roll (yaw) and the fact that you could use this in lieu of an aerial to sink the ball in the net. We had a good, long laugh and remains one of our favorite inside jokes.

Recently, I learned about the strict rules his mother enforces on him. He said to me, "My mom is really against these videogames. For 4 months, I've been struggling to get practice in for Rocket League. This game is my passion and I don't want to leave it, but she said she won't let me play again." He earns great grades and plays sports--what's wrong with letting him follow his passion?

I vow for Kubsniped, my friend of 5 months because everyone deserves a right to follow their passion. I hope you can agree.