Undergraduate /
"Young antique" - challenge myself; common prompt1 essay [7]
Thanks! It's very helpful! I reivsed it acorrding to your advice. Can you give me more advice?
I used to live from day to day walking along the road my family and teachers arranged for me. I stayed away from challenges as many as possible, never considering an organization of a new activity or an adventure to some remote area. The possible harms from uncertainty scared me! However, an experience during field training has changed all of these, surely, a turning point in my life.
It was a nice day with white clouds, soft wind and green trees. But I was not in the mood to enjoy. There stood two separate high poles in front of me, each with a wooden bridge on the top and there was an 80cms gap between the two bridges. Our coach was explaining," It's easy but takes courage. You need to: climb up the pole, walk on the bridge, take a step to the opposite bridge and then climb down from the other pole." It might be easy for others but not me- I was with fear of great heights since I was born and the poles were at least four stories high. I intended to quit but was rejected by my coach. There was no choice but to carry on.
One after one, the members completed the challenge with cheers and praises from below. I moved backwards again and again until there was no one in front of me or behind me: it was my turn. My heart was beating faster. I climbed slowly and tensely, hands grasping the rope tightly, eyes sticking on the pole all the way. Standing on the top, my legs were kind of out of control, weak and shaking like leaves in the wind.
The people below were noisy, shouting aloud," Come on! You can do it!" I was trying to convince myself. I recalled the time when people ridiculed my excessive self-protection. I remembered the words from my grandpa that sometimes God would help you to make a change you didn't dare to and when that happened, grasp it. I thought of the moments when other members took their steps to the opposite bridge... I felt that I want a change and if I quit then I could not succeed in anything else. The desire to carry on was becoming stronger than the fear of heights at that moment. I finally took my step!
When I sat on the ground with my still weak legs afterwards, unexpectedly, I felt a relief and a sense of excitement in the deep heart. You never know what you can do unless you are pushed to. I realized how many great experiences and feelings I had missed before. The future is charming over its unknown. You don't know what you are going to experience or who you are going to meet. All you can do is keep your guts and longing to find a better self. Overly worrying about the uncertainty deprives me of the experience I need to carry me there.
All the rest will fall into place. I dared to host a debate in front of all school staff and students. I dared to motivate people around to contribute their power to those who need help. I dared to leave my own country studying in the U.S. for a whole year. And, as we all can see, I am still alive and healthy. I am more than ready for a new adventure in the future.
