Braeden F., Miamisburg Middle School
Rebuilding Myself
People strive to be perfect. We’re pressured with fitting in, who we want to hang out with, what we want to do in life. No one sees the truth. Life isn’t perfect. Sometimes, life punches you in the gut. And there’s no way to avoid that. But what people do have is the ability to bounce back and live a good life. Not perfect. But a good life.
I recently went through my round in life’s wrestling ring. I took a risk of asking someone out. My buddy Asher was my “wingman,” and he was the one who convinced me to try my luck. A little while into the last day of school, he came up to me and told me that the girl I was going to ask out actually liked me. I couldn’t describe the feeling; I was feeling confident and ecstatic in all ways possible. Soon, lunch rolls around. I’m sitting with my friends when Asher says it’s time. So, nervously yet positively, I walk up to her and ask. Surprisingly, she said no.
Now, of course, that bummed me out. I took some deep breaths in the bathroom and head back to lunch. But in the hallway, I saw three of my friends racing towards me. They informed me that Asher had lied. And not only that, but he had said that no girl could ever like me. My mind was racing, but it felt like everything had stopped. I collapsed in the corner of the dirty bathroom floor, sobbing, my friends just watching. The rest of the day, I was so distraught.
I must’ve woken up on the right side of the bed the next morning, because I realized that everything, in the moment, was fine. I’d been through a rough experience, but I came out okay. I decided that I wouldn’t let this one disaster bring down my life. It turns out, the whole ordeal was a blessing in disguise. It opened so many doors I didn’t know were there. That summer, I picked up new hobbies. I started listening to and experimenting with music. I joined my school’s cross country team, which helped me find a sport I was passionate about.
That summer of rebuilding myself has helped shape me into who I am today. And during that summer, I learned a valuable lesson. It’s completely up to you to decide what paths you take, what you want to do in life. But never forget: no matter what path you do take, what will shape you are those around you. That’s the key to a good life. It’s built on relationships. Everyone around me has taught me about love, joy, pride, and traits about myself I never knew about. And these experiences and people have made not only a path for my life, but a home as well. And I’ll always know that I have a blanket of people beneath my feet that will care for me, even when I fall.
