It was the beginning of the school year and I had the perfect plan.  I had a sub par GPA during my first three years of high school, and felt that if I had any chance of getting into a decent college, I would have to buckle down for the year.  I figured one major reason for my academic failures was a serious lack of focus, as well as motivation.  I had to eliminate the obstacles in my way blocking my path to success, my super-highway towards college.  So I decided to sell my Play station 2.  I had many good times with my game console, although several frustrating moments resulting in more than a few broken controllers as well.  I already knew from previous attempts to sell my play station 2 games that I would probably receive 50, 60 bucks, if I was lucky, for my console, controller, and ten games.  So I figured, do what any man would do who wants more money than their item is actually worth:  go to eBay.  I signed up for an account, which took hours on end just to set up.  After everything was set up and the item was up for auction, I anxiously waited for the first bid.  Days passed with no offer, only a single view on my item.  I was desperate.  I was willing.  I was susceptible to anything.  I had offered everything I had for $30, and with only a few days left, I was afraid I would lose more money than I could have made in the first place.  Then I got an E-mail.  In the E-mail, it said that a man was willing to pay $400 for everything I had.  Despite the man's broken English and failure to understand basic spacing requirements between letters and words, I still responded to the email.  If the man could give me more information I would easily oblige any of his requests.  He sent me back an email, stating that his address was in Africa.  I simultaneously received a letter from "Pay Pal," stating that my order would be completed as soon as the item was received by the recipient.  Ecstatic as could be I showed my mom the E-mail.  I convinced her to rush me to the post office.  Once there, after the box had been weighed, the price for shipping was listed at $80, and would be delivered in 7-10 days.  The man said he would pay for shipping as well as the extra $400, so I figured, "hey, no biggie."  The package was shipped off faster than one could say "you're an idiot."  After more than two weeks had passed I knew that something was wrong.  I looked at the E-mail I had received again.  The setup of the email looked fishy, and the title of the email address was not simply  "Pay pal,"  it was "Customer Service Pay Pal"  I looked at the pay pal website and saw there was a way to test E-mail to see if they were scams or not.  I sent all the E-mails I had received from Pay pal and E Bay.  They were all fakes. 
    A month or so had passed and I forgot about the incident.  It was probably for the best I got rid of the system anyway.  Money, no money, or loss of money.  At least now I would finally be able to focus on my school work.  When I got home from an exhausting day of school, I walked into my house to find a big brown box.  I had seen this box before.  "You know what that is right?" I told my mom, unable to contain my gleeful smile.  Despite all the trouble I had gone through, the loss of money, knowing in your mind that some guy in Africa who doesn’t understand English tricked you in to sending a play station 2 to Africa, all the emotional drainage...The idea of my stupid old play station 2 finding its way home, well, there was nothing else to do but smile.
    It's the end of the school year now and, after the first semester, despite frequent visits downstairs to charge up the old system, my grades were at their highest point ever.  I got into the college I was aiming for as well.  All of this, despite having the good ol' PS2 lying around.  See what I’ve learned from this whole thing, is that the obstacles one endures, the obstacles most difficult to overcome, are those created by oneself.  Even if I had dumped the Ps2, I surely would have found another way to waste my time.  What I hope you can learn from this, is that you should never ever, think that if you do something poorly in life, it is the result of an obstacle in your way.  Understand that you are your biggest obstacle.
    O ya, and don't send your PS2 to Africa.