Ep 14. A Slump, a Cross and Roadside Gravel

Sheldon is a gifted child growing up in East Texas during the late 1980s. In this episode, Sheldon is experiencing a slump in his academic performance and trying different ways to break it. When his slump starts disrupting his sleep, Sheldon decides to take up running to help tire himself out before bed. This leads to an injury, but his father encourages him to keep running and to realize the mental strength needed to get through a slump.

On the spiritual front, the family car breaks down on the way to church and they seek help from a local auto repair shop. The mechanic, who is living in a spiritual desert, reconciles with his faith after a surprise ending and his newfound faith encourages Sheldon to attempt to read the bible on his own.

While walking to the mechanic's auto shop, Sheldon spots a crack in the pavement and decides to jump over it. However, his foot hits a loose piece of gravel and he trips. Sheldon's family takes him to the hospital where he meets an oncology nurse who inspires him to keep moving forward.

Throughout the episode, Sheldon thinks about his dad's advice to welcome the slump and envision the outcome, which becomes a mantra for him as he navigates various obstacles in his life.

The episode concludes with Sheldon back on track academically, his father's car being restored by the mechanic, and Sheldon running past the outlet where he had fallen earlier. Sheldon's mantra, along with his new sense of self-confidence, enables him to successfully leap over the same crack and continue his run, symbolizing his victory over his slump.