Finding My Wings

The Day That Changed Me

It was a normal day at school. My teacher had just given us a writing prompt that we had to finish in ten minutes. The prompt was that the teacher had dropped off a box in the middle of the classroom, and without saying a word, she left. Our job was to finish the story by telling the rest of the class what we thought was in the box or what it could do. So of course, younger me, set off like a writing rocket when my teacher started the timer. I wrote as fast as I could, to the point where my hand ached. I laughed to myself as I put in loads of jokes and crazy things involving my classmates. And when the timer finally went off, I was heaving for breath from my excitement. But to my young and shy dismay, my teacher began asking for volunteers to come up in front of the class and share their stories. 

And that's when the mental argument began. I had two different voices telling me different things about what to do with this situation. I had one voice, which I called courage, telling me that I should go up and share it so that everyone could enjoy it as much as I did. But then I had another voice, which at the time I called reality, saying that it was a stupid idea to share it. That if no one liked it, what was I going to do then? Was I just going to stand up there while everyone awkwardly stared at me? So, I sat in my chair and nervously attempted to listen to everyone else's stories. And as the two voices continued to duke it out in my head, most everyone else had finished reading their stories and the teacher was calling for final volunteers.

My hands began to sweat as I sat there, not knowing what to do with myself. When suddenly, the little voice of encouragement in my head took over. It must've been meant to read it because suddenly, my hand shot up into the air and I had volunteered. Still in shock that I actually volunteered and with everyone staring at me, I slowly and bashfully stood and walked to the center of the room and sat in the chair. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, beginning to read my story bashfully. My voice was almost like a mouse's. But as I began to get to the comical parts about my classmates that I had made up, everyone began to laugh. I quickly gained confidence and realized, that they were enjoying it! Now unburdened from the voice I called reality, I read with a smile and confidence. I laughed along with them, till I had tears in my eyes. And when I finished and everyone began to clap loudly, I had the greatest feelings in the world. 

Accomplishment and confidence. 

Because I defied the negativity that once controlled me.

I did it.