Reed B., Centerville High School
The Trampoline Effect
Imagine standing on the edge of a 10,000 foot tall cliff with the cold wind blowing in your hair as you look down at the waves crashing against the jagged rocks below, knowing that you have to make that jump every single day in order to succeed.
As someone with a strong fear of heights, I know how frightening it can be to make that leap of faith. Unfortunately, many teenagers, including me, have to free fall everyday in hopes that we’ll safely land in the water below. In order to get rid of that fear, I’ve devised a plan that I like to call “The Trampoline Effect.”
Instead of plunging straight into an ocean of negativity, I like to imagine that, at the bottom of the cliff, there’s a giant, bouncy trampoline awaiting me. The thing about trampolines is that they are fun, simple, and guarantee that you’ll rise back up even if you fall down.
School, for me, is all about taking the risks of jumping off a cliff. I have to deal with the stress of landing safely, I have to learn all the mid-air tricks, and I need to be able to control myself. If I can’t do these things, I’ll surely be swallowed by the sea of failure and break from the pressure. Teachers, parents, and all sorts of judges seem to expect perfect dives from me, throwing my rhythm astray. Nothing hurts more than drowning in the pressure and knowing that everyone is watching and making fun of you while you struggle to breathe.
That’s why I’ve built a trampoline for myself to land on. I’m safe in the knowledge that I’ll always be safe, no matter what I may do on the way down. Whether I do a flashy trick or not, I’ll still land all the same. It’s easy because all I need to do is believe and trust myself. I took my time with school, dipping my toes in the water during my early years and finding out what I could handle. Once I got familiar, I started to mix it up. I tried all sorts of tricks, and jumped high enough so that I could see the whole world! My body was set free, and I learned how to spread my wings and fly. I could soar!
However, I know that I’ll have to go back down eventually. I constantly fall over, and people push me around all the time. Gravity is relentless, but it’s okay, because my trampoline is always there to save me.
Acrobatics is no fun alone. I get lonely floating around at the top, and that’s why I want everyone to have a trampoline. I’ve always invited others to come because, at the end of the day, bouncing around with my friends is fun, and fun is good. If everyone could just jump together, we’d fly higher, achieve greater things, and live a happier life by having fun with every risk taken.
