editing...

[skylight]

*Names are changed to protect privacy.
This essay was written for this prompt: write an essay about one person who made a big difference in your life.


Within my lifetime one adult has changed my life from what it “was” to what it “is.” This person opened and closed my eyes in many different situations. This person was hero and villain in my “grain of sand” world. I first met this person when he was the “new coach in town” at my local gymnastics center. I was level 6 and practically jumped with joy when a coach came that could help my reach my outrageous goals (you know all that crazy Olympic stuff). In his late early fifties, with a slightly receding hairline, he gave me a jolt into reality. This person was named Mike Terreance, and somehow he actually helped me become who I am today.

Mike had a no colors only gray type of attitude and in his finest hour he only exhibited the following traits: selfish, uninterested, abusive, stupid, obsessive, and a keen manipulator of the word “caring.” He was one of the first people who were just bad. My parents always talked about those “bad people”, but everyone I knew was always good. My ignorance kept me from the fact that he was hitting, dropping, giving long lectures, overworking and was absent from most of our gymnastic workouts. We were all labeled as “fat” and had to wear bellybands and read nutritional articles over and over. Everything Mike did was based on his needs, his wants, and his gains. Which was why when I hurt myself the coaches and team basically kicked me out. Apparently I was no longer anyone who was going to bring home that gold.

Although not all people are counted as generous, most people have at least a little caring in their heart. Mike did not. His initial decision was to toughen us up. So we went through long Saturday workouts working on our mental strength. What he did was read that little blurb that says the results if used properly, what he did not do was read the directions or side effects. It quiet possibly killed my and my fellow gymnasts egos. In the end my lesson was that not everything everybody says is right, no matter what they promise. Not everybody is going to be thinking of your needs at any one moment, which is why people have to look out for themselves. In this state I was hurt and confused...but when I finally got over it and all of its culture I was ok.

In hindsight my mother was right. The first thing she said was “watch out there trouble”, jokingly because for the Bush Cheney bumper sticker on their van, in this case it turned out to be true. In the end I grew up a lot after being knocked down. “What doesn’t kill us makes stronger,” unfortunately it takes time.



Comments, ect?
I usually struggle with the technical part of writing.