zabdou
Dec 1, 2019
Undergraduate / Beyond the silence! / Personal essay / Common App : Discuss an accomplishment, event.... [3]
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Who doesn't know that words have power, it's a fact right? But, who knows that Silence also has power; a power that's hard to get.
As a kid, I had a speech delay that lasted 4 years, which inherently raised a red flag among concerned family members. Doctors tried without success to counsel my parents to be patient. Others thought that it was a bad experience for me and I was suffering a lot, but that was far from the truth. I personally count this period as the most important milestone in my life. My inability to communicate with words did not hinder my childhood moments from being enjoyable and memorable. I still had my fair share of great adventures and pleasant memories. Moreover, I was able to develop my personality discreetly especially my artistic side. I spent my time admiring different views, buildings, and scenery, using my disguised blessing of muteness as an opportunity to think more and talk less. Therefore after getting used to this, it became a habit. After a while, a regular day for me involved observing other kids from afar while daydreaming magical scenarios for my character. On some occasions, my bedroom window became a safe haven for the night, as I enjoyed stargazing and making up shapes in the night sky.
At the age of 4, my parents heard my first words and were beside themself with joy. As the great parents, they are, their hearts almost burst open with emotions and happiness. That moment was sculpted in their memories and tongues too, as they keep reminding me of those cherished moments to encourage me in times of doubts and reaffirm my strengths as a young man. However, speaking itself was still a process. I still had problems with my pronunciation. Was the blessing of speaking my first words an incomplete gift? No! It was a new challenge I had to work on. A hurdle of sorts that would help shape my upbringing.
No matter how this could affect me, I have adapted to it. Not just by accepting my circumstances, but by changing others' opinions of me. Whenever I would say something and make mistakes when playing with my peers at the kindergarten, they would start making fun of me. I had two options to choose from: to resist or to give up playing. I chose to resist. And so, under my silent cover and my little sudden words, I started expressing myself differently. I gave my silence a power that let others see me in a different light. I stopped being known as the kid who spoke poorly and became known as a handicraftsman in the classroom and an artist, as a result of a hundred artworks sketched with a pencil or made with simple materials.
The respect that I worked for is now combined and attached to a nickname that was carved in my classmates' memories during years and years which led them to qualify me as their class delegates in high school through two consecutive years. The boy who couldn't speak then, now speaks on behalf of all of his classmates.
This is why I worked hard on my attitude towards others. Because even with weaknesses, you can be a great leader with a high attitude and a powerful silence. Attitude defines one's personality. You do not have to be big or small, strong or weak. It is the way you play the cards that are dealt to you. What you make of them is what shapes your future. One can choose to cry over spilled milk, but I choose to pick up the mop, clean it up and go make myself a cup of sweet Moroccan tea instead.
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Beyond the silence - Abdourrahmane
Who doesn't know that words have power, it's a fact right? But, who knows that Silence also has power; a power that's hard to get.
As a kid, I had a speech delay that lasted 4 years, which inherently raised a red flag among concerned family members. Doctors tried without success to counsel my parents to be patient. Others thought that it was a bad experience for me and I was suffering a lot, but that was far from the truth. I personally count this period as the most important milestone in my life. My inability to communicate with words did not hinder my childhood moments from being enjoyable and memorable. I still had my fair share of great adventures and pleasant memories. Moreover, I was able to develop my personality discreetly especially my artistic side. I spent my time admiring different views, buildings, and scenery, using my disguised blessing of muteness as an opportunity to think more and talk less. Therefore after getting used to this, it became a habit. After a while, a regular day for me involved observing other kids from afar while daydreaming magical scenarios for my character. On some occasions, my bedroom window became a safe haven for the night, as I enjoyed stargazing and making up shapes in the night sky.
At the age of 4, my parents heard my first words and were beside themself with joy. As the great parents, they are, their hearts almost burst open with emotions and happiness. That moment was sculpted in their memories and tongues too, as they keep reminding me of those cherished moments to encourage me in times of doubts and reaffirm my strengths as a young man. However, speaking itself was still a process. I still had problems with my pronunciation. Was the blessing of speaking my first words an incomplete gift? No! It was a new challenge I had to work on. A hurdle of sorts that would help shape my upbringing.
No matter how this could affect me, I have adapted to it. Not just by accepting my circumstances, but by changing others' opinions of me. Whenever I would say something and make mistakes when playing with my peers at the kindergarten, they would start making fun of me. I had two options to choose from: to resist or to give up playing. I chose to resist. And so, under my silent cover and my little sudden words, I started expressing myself differently. I gave my silence a power that let others see me in a different light. I stopped being known as the kid who spoke poorly and became known as a handicraftsman in the classroom and an artist, as a result of a hundred artworks sketched with a pencil or made with simple materials.
The respect that I worked for is now combined and attached to a nickname that was carved in my classmates' memories during years and years which led them to qualify me as their class delegates in high school through two consecutive years. The boy who couldn't speak then, now speaks on behalf of all of his classmates.
This is why I worked hard on my attitude towards others. Because even with weaknesses, you can be a great leader with a high attitude and a powerful silence. Attitude defines one's personality. You do not have to be big or small, strong or weak. It is the way you play the cards that are dealt to you. What you make of them is what shapes your future. One can choose to cry over spilled milk, but I choose to pick up the mop, clean it up and go make myself a cup of sweet Moroccan tea instead.
