March 17, 2008

Once Kirsten Shortridge breaks from the batter's box, it's nearly impossible to keep her from coming home again. It's also one of the only times her path through life is as clear as the white chalk line in front of her.

It's tempting to frame Shortridge's story in a tragic past or an inspirational future. There are undeniably elements of each in what she overcame and what she hopes to do. But making her a victim or a hero in order to fit the constraints of words obscures the more compelling truth of a story without an ending.

For all that must be explained about how the Baylor sophomore got here and for all that can be said about where she may go from here, Shortridge's story is really one about here. It's about a 20-year-old who speaks frankly about her own perceived shortcomings, even as she struggles against their bonds in search of faith, identity and happiness. It's about a unique story and a universal search for self.

"There is still a great part of me that is very immature and has yet to develop," Shortridge said. "Because I've held on to every negative thing that has happened in my life, and it's like it's in my back pocket. I don't like to talk to people and I don't like to share things, and when I do -- I don't know, it's not like I use them for an excuse, but to someone that hasn't dealt with it, if I were to say something was affecting me, they would think it was an excuse. ... I see the negative in everything, just because that's what I've dealt with my entire life, since I was a little kid."

Click here for the rest of the story