Free-falling, but in Control

I'm a runner. Running is something I've become very skilled at, especially considering all the practice I've had. I mean, I'm not the toughest, coolest, or most popular kid in school--far from it, in fact. I've been teased and bullied all my life, and I hated it. But it's not just those idiots I've been running from. In other words, I was a coward. I ran mostly from my fears, my doubts, and the things I don't know. Really, I was running from things that aren't actually there. Fears and doubts aren't physical objects, but they're there enough to occupy my mind. They've destroyed me in the past. I can't count the number of times I've come home from school, dumped my stuff on the floor, ran upstairs to my room, locked the door behind me, curled up on my bed, and cried. I was a nervous wreck. That's the way I've always been--that is, until last night.

Last night, I cried so much that my tears could've filled an Olympic swimming pool. My fears had finally caught up with me. Somewhere along the line, I must've fallen asleep, because the next thing I was suddenly surrounded by a dream.

In my dream, I was falling. I was plummeting straight towards the face of the earth. My fears and doubts were forcing me down through the sky faster than the Diamondback at Kings Island. I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact. At this point, I was ready to take whatever came. Then I thought, was I really just about tho let my doubts destroy me? No. Absolutely not. And right before I hit the ground--       --I stopped. I opened my eyes and saw that my once-flailing arms and legs were just dangling two feet above the ground. I carefully placed my feet onto the solid grass. Then I jumped--and flew. I laughed. I shouted. I cried tears of happiness. I was flying -- I was free.

The next morning--this morning--I packed my things for school in a happy way for the first time in what seems like an eon. I left for school, arrived at school, and headed to my locker. As usual, the idiots that love to bully me were standing right in front of it. Determined, I asked them to move. They didn't. I asked again. They still didn't move. But I didn't run off to tell a teacher like I usually would. Nope--this time, I walked into homeroom, my things in my hands, and told my teacher with a straight face that some jerks were standing in front of my locker and wouldn't move. So she said she'd go talk to them, and that's what she went to do--except I came with her. The bullies were shocked that I didn't have a red face and watery eyes like I usually do. This time, my face was rather smug. I guess they learned something from that -- they couldn't pick on me anymore. So they sulked off, unsatisfied.

I'm going to fly again tonight, knowing that I'll always be free. And even though sometimes, life has its drops, I'll always be free-falling -- but in total control.