After the music stops, and the piano collects dust, only few will hear that glorious sound. Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Chopin continually ring through my ears. And once heard, the sound becomes unforgettable–just like him. The things he did always came off a little strange–constantly inventing thing, improving lasers, and editing picture. But, despite his odd […]
“How is it that a thirteen year old boy can raise more money than any of our board members?” asked the director of Camp One Step at a Time to open his board meeting. All of the board members were truly in shock at this opener. Did a thirteen year old really raise that much […]
Ardrey Kell. Those two words, synonymous with new school,O made my stomach turn. Switching schools, in the middle of high school, was a nightmare. But in one of the nationOs fastest growing cities, Charlotte, North Carolina, I had no choice. New schools were being hastily scraped together everywhere, and I was re-zoned to a new […]
Sweat did not accumulate in light droplets on our foreheads; it gathered in great pools, drenching our leotards. Although we never noticed it ourselves, everyone outside the studio could see that the air was dense with moisture and heat. All of our attention was concentrated towards our bodies: shoulders down, stomachs in, hips tucked under—the […]
After the thirty-minute boat ride, the nine other Americans and I arrived in the small, but beautiful fishing village of Balawing. We were still in the first week of our two-week church summer mission trip to the Philippines, and were enjoying ourselves in a completely exhausted kind of way. Right when we stepped out of […]
At the same time as somewhat child I stored a pocket book to jot down tales from what I noticed round me. Writing down my ideas or emotions about why my mother instructed me that I wasn’t allowed to get one other ice cream, or why my trainer instructed me to be quiet in school […]
I turn off of a paved path and into the wild. I carefully step through overgrown grass that completely surrounds the stream nearby. I watch the ground carefully, as I know that the thick vegetation often obscures ruts and holes. I continue on through the marsh, and for a moment, it’s like I’ve stepped back […]
“I’ll do it” are three words I do not regret saying. I was offered the chance to be a coach for my school’s select baseball team. This was an opportunity to do something that I enjoy, and also teach a group of talented kids teamwork, sportsmanship, and focus. On a cold January evening, I met […]
Wow! Life is so short. Who knew? People constantly told me this, I thought I knew what they meant. Yes, it is difficult to perceive and more than we can grasp but, that is the value of life. Truth is, I had no idea. Life is so delicately fragile and can just be snatched away […]
March 8th, 2006 was a day that changed my world. Jackson, my brother was in 3rd grade like any other kid in gym class playing basketball. In a blink of an eye, he dropped to the floor unresponsive. After a life-saving helicopter ride to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, he was rushed into the surgery room, […]