Undergraduate / 'BOOM' - Essay about a revolution: commonapp essay [5]

"Now it's your turn!"
I kept hearing these ghostly voices over and over again, but I could not find where they came from. Suddenly I saw a silhouette emerging from an unbreakable shadow. A tiny man was inching slowly toward me. His pale face was luminous in the soft light of the moon and his breath came in a long slow billow of white smoke. He was staring deeply at me, his lips were moving but I couldn't understand what he was saying. His footsteps then slowed and suddenly he stopped next to me, he stood there, immense, motionless. He reached for my hand and then whispered:

"Now it's your turn, you can change the world ... Dream, don't be afraid ...Dream ... And everything will be possible "
And then: "BOOM"... I woke up shaking, with sweat dripping down my forehead. What was this dream about? Who was this man and why did that feel so real? Tons of questions were running through my mind as my heart was thumping furiously. That's when my mother came into my room and urged me to get dressed. "Today is a special day", she said, "We are going to vote for the first time!"

I accompanied her to the elementary school where lines of people were already snaking hundreds of meters back along the streets. They were coming by dozens, old men, women, former political prisoners, and young people, all gathered for the same purpose: celebrating Tunisia's rebirth. With their ballots as weapons, they queued full of hope and confidence. I've never seen this sense of citizenship among Tunisians before. An overwhelming happiness and optimism filled the atmosphere, after each person voted, everybody clapped and cheered, "Tzaghrita", a Tunisian cry symbolizing happiness was heard every now and then. When my mother came out, I saw in her eyes how crucial that moment was for her. And that's when everything became crystal clear; I finally understood the significance of that dream. If Thousands of Tunisians stood up together and followed their shattered dreams of freedom, then I can do it as well. That day, I promised that I will help my country as best as I could. I've already found ways to be involved and make my voice heard: Besides the fact that I was among the many protesters during the uprisings, I joined afterwards the crew of Tunisia Live, an independent English based website that relates information about the political situation in the country, and I participated in various campaigns to raise political awareness, encouraging people to enroll to vote visiting them in their homes, in shopping malls and even at the beach.

Yet that's not enough for me; I want to do more, to go beyond simple civic contributions, I want to know more about the way the political system operates, understand war and peace, conflict and cooperation, wealth and poverty, power and change. Seeing how Tunisians sacrificed their lives dropping out the curtain of despotism to let the purest lights of democracy embrace us motivated me to reach for the hidden dreams inside my soul and fulfill my growing curiosity about politics.

As I was observing people casting their votes and triumphantly waving their ink-stained finger,I thought about the man's words, he was right; it was my turn to change the world. The urge of following my dreams filled my heart and hopes and I promised myself that I will fight for the rights of Tunisians and honor the live lost. Their sacrifices, their suffering and their tears won't go in vain. And maybe one day, who knows, become president and serve my country in the noblest way. The man did advise me to dream big, right?