The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

46 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 because I’m sick of being called a quitter, or because I wanted respect, but because I knew that it was a flaw and it was starting to define me. The truth was that I refused to admit I was content embracing the humility of being called a quitter, to ultimately please the desire to do what it was that I wanted to do. It has been said that when an individual who has been obese for a majority of their life, finally breaks free and regains a healthy weight, family members and close friends are the last to accept it. Stereotypes have away attaching themselves like that. Once one becomes associated with a particular stereotype, it becomes difficult to break. There is no way of preparing for something like this, but all I knew was that I needed to change, and it needed to happen now. “VanWingerden” barked one of the judges. My heart skipped a beat. A sudden coldness envelopedme as I entered the large, dark room. I could feel the hundreds of grim faces piercing into me while I trotted towards the giant grand piano. It was exposed in such a way that the crowd could see my every mistake; the judges were close enough to touch. I sat on the piano and took a deep breath, my heart beat in my fingers as I brought my clammy hands towards the keyboard. But asmy fingers began to move across the keys, I knew this is where I belonged. The room began to brighten as I pounded the rich chords on the piano. Catharsis swept over me towards the climax of my composition, allowing the genuine expression in all its fullness to be felt by the crowd. After my performance I bowed to the judges and the audience, and I saw the happy faces of the ones I loved. Later, I would learn that I received a superior rating for my piano performance that day. I was not only happy because I received a high score, but because that score was a reflection of the time and effort I sacrificed to develop that skill. Aweakness has its way of making itself known. It can be reflected by the responsesof theoneswe love, or exposed just by the consequences alone. As I look back on the weakness that I struggled with as a kid, I know that it was crucial for shaping who I am today. I learned how to overcome the desire to live in complacency. Even though I still start things without finishing them, and I still have a lackadaisical approach on things, having an awareness of that tendency is what allows me to kill that temptation. Weaknesses should not be treated as a crutch, but as a challenge. We need to view our weakness as an opportunity to improve. My thoughts drift back to my mom’s words: “Our greatest weaknesses grow to become our greatest strengths.”