Friday, December 30, 2011

Challenge 48: Hiding in the Paint and the Pages

222. Where you go to hide and why

As a student living in a boarding school, it is predictable that I get into little arguments with my friends. Additionally, the homesickness that I feel at these times because I am away from home doesn't help feel any better. These are times when really, all I want to do is escape and hide away somewhere, where I don't have to deal with all these problems, although I would very much like to. And, after all these fights and arguments, I have realized that the best thing to do when I want to hide away is to do something that I really love, which will help me not think about the dramatic situations that surround me right now.

For example, ever since I was small, I have always loved to do art, and consequently, I took art classes at my school. The art room at school is very comforting. The windows are big, covered just with glass which easily lets all the sunshine through. I sit there, long after school is over, with my ears absorbing the sound of my music from the earphones. I sit there, on a wooden stool, the drawing book so soft under my hands, scribbling and finishing up the work I was assigned. I forget about all the things bothering me and just relax while I hide somewhere far away from all my troubles.

Another activity I enjoy doing is reading books. It was something that I have made sure that I constantly do in order to expand my knowledge and know more about everything around me. Therefore, when I get a bad grade or have to deal with something unfair and I just want to escape it all, I read. I let myself get lost in the world of a character out of a story. I read and read, encounter all the problems my character is having, and I think about the situation she is in. I think about how this is going to end and how everything will finally settle down and return to the way it was. It just seems so much more convenient to know that the end, which has already been written, cannot be changed. No matter what I, as a reader, do, the characters will end up the way the author decided. It’s easier to believe that at least there is an end to all the troubles my character is facing, even if the ending is a happy one or a sad one.

One might call me a coward because I like to escape my problems and distract myself, rather than facing them. However, I know that I have to face them sooner or later, but even these moments of distraction help me feel better. They help me realize that even if my problems end badly, there are still things I can do that will show that all is not over.

Challenge 47: Caterpillar

173. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, what animal would you select and why?

As unpleasant as they seem to many people, caterpillars are equally fascinating creatures. They have a mysterious aura surrounding them and are as unpredictable as can be. Although many people avoid them because of the way they look, they are beautiful the way they are with their long, fuzzy bodies decorated with spots or lines. The dull black or brown color of their skin is promising beautiful, well-developed butterflies. Their way of slowly feeding off on a leaf, little by little, taking their own time, shows that they are patient creatures. They are patient because soon, they are going to be magnificent creatures. They endure the disappointment from other people and constantly work on preparing for the future. The soon-to-be-a-butterfly looks like any other ugly creature but the wonders it is yet to show is hidden. These caterpillars have yet to turn into beautiful butterflies that so elegantly decorate the gardens and flowers. Caterpillars should not be underestimated because of the way they are now, at this stage. They are are still developing, slowly, and taking their time to mature. They are working towards a better future.

If feel like a caterpillar sometimes. I fail at something and I instantly want to quit. However, this failure, alongside of the criticism from other people, makes me want to try again. It encourages me to contribute to the person I will be in the future. It makes me want to show other people that they are thinking wrong when they underestimate the person I am. Right now, I might feel pathetic and hopeless when I fail at something, but I know that this failure will only do me good. I just have to endure all that I am today in hopes of becoming a better human being in the future who has a better grip on how to make out the best of herself.

Challenge 46: FLY!

218. What super power you would choose . . .

Like many other kids, I always dreamed about flying. Maybe it was the way Tinkerbell could flap her tiny wings and float so effortlessly or maybe it was the way Spider Man jumped from building to building that made be want to fly too. Whatever it was, the prospect of jumping off a building, falling a little, and then sweeping up to fly off into the distance was always appealing to me. Of course, I never tried jumping off a roof, but it was something that I have always wanted to do. Fly.

If I could choose a superpower, I would choose to fly. I would fly from country to country, continent to continent, finding new places. I would go to all the Wonders of the World and visit places that I have heard so many things about. I would go far up in the sky and play with the clouds. I would feel the softness of the clouds and sit on them while I travel from place to place, eating cotton candy. I would jump off from the clouds and fly away with the birds. I would watch them flap their wings so elegantly as I glide alongside them. Then, I would leave everything behind and soar upwards, outside the perimeter of the world. I would fly and fly, until I am tired. I would reach new places that nobody has ever heard about. I would discover new things, learn new things, and experience new things. When I am finally tired and too tired to fly anymore, I would fall. I would fall backwards, to the place where I came from. I would be happy to fall because I would know that I have done my best to make absolute use of my power. I would fall and fall, until the end, and then, I would be satisfied and would share this extraordinary adventure with the rest of the world.