Emma H., Centerville High School
Swimming Together
How can a fish learn to swim if its fins are bitten off from the beginning? Simple answer: they usually don’t. High school is a sea filled with everything from the biggest sharks who believe they’re unconquerable, to the tiniest of minnows scared to be seen. Finding, obtaining, and maintaining confidence is one of the hardest things a student can do. I guess you could say I’m somewhere in the middle. A clash of ideas burning to be shared, and fears of my disability overshadowing them.
If we’re being honest, I’m usually the latter. Yet this year I’ve learned sometimes all you need is a little push. Choir class is my one escape from the strenuous day of school. A place I can come, sit down, and feel at home with 40 other amazing people who love music as much as I do. I find myself laughing, smiling and singing each day with newfound joy I didn’t realize was buried inside me. Best of all, when I sing my Tourette's seemingly disappeared. 55 minutes tic-free, where no one could tell I was any different.
I had previously never sung in front of more than a handful of close friends, let alone a huge class of people. So when the director announced we’d be practicing for solos, I instinctively sat down quietly. I listened to each girl who raised her hand and stood singing along with the piano. Everyone was different. Some quiet, others loud. A few confident, a handful timid. But in the end everyone received the same eruption of applause and cheers.
The teacher motioned up to my section, and I glanced nervously at the students around me. All different, but everyone was included, regardless of disability, age, appearance, or personality. My friend gave an encouraging nod and smile from across the room. If I wanted to sing, now was the time. I apprehensively raised my hand, feeling my hands shake as I clutched the sheet music I used as my lifeline. As the soft familiar piano keys cued me in, I began to sing.
I was no Adele, not by a long shot. Some notes were flat, some beats were off, but as I ended the last measure I could hear the clapping of hands all around me. Everyone was smiling, and I knew I wasn’t alone. I beamed, having done something I never thought I could do. I was proud of myself. Rays of happiness extended through my body and reached out to everyone else as I clapped, cheered, and smiled after each solo.
High school may seem like an ocean, but it’s a lot easier to navigate when you’re not alone. Like happiness, confidence is contagious. Sometimes all it takes is a positive example or a word of encouragement to build someone up. Don’t be afraid to be kind. Life is a lot more fun if we’re all in it together. Who knows what you can accomplish when you believe in yourself and those around you.
