Defining Moment: A Short Story

Everyone has a defining moment at one point in his or her life. Like Tom Benecke in “Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket", who had discovered his defining moment when he realized he was on the edge of death. Similarly, I found my defining moment at the age of eight when I almost drowned in the water. It was a moment that changed my life forever and will always remain in my heart.

As the light of the sun began to weaken, my thoughts began to disperse. The grey clouds of a storm blew in from the horizon. It began to rain big fat drops that fell so slowly I could count them. It was a cool rain, but the air was still warm. I watched people grabbing their things and jogging off the beach. Even my dad who was devoted to his fishing had begun to pack up his rods and bait.

My eyes were filled with eagerness and my body was filled with exhilaration. Looking left and looking right, I watched teenagers play drums as if they were music prodigies; I saw horses and carriages as if we were playing a role in a fairytale Disney movie. Various colors of light flashed brightly all around me. All of it was happening at once.

We arrived at our destination… so I took my headphones out, and I put my iPhone away. I stepped off of the bus to see a large brick school building with some bricks missing and multiple cracked windows illuminated by light bulbs glowing brightly in classrooms full of innocent children. I began walking to the entrance of the school, trying to avoid the large cracks in the sidewalk that were filled with ice on this bitter December day. Snow was falling and the bitter cold and my new surroundings were shaking me to the core.

The forecast called for more rain on the most awaited and thrilling day of their lives. Desoto High School graduating seniors were spackled with mixed emotions ranging from excitement, to rage. After receiving the news that Desoto High School’s district administrators failed to plan for a rainy day venue that could accommodate a stadium view crowd of elated parents, friends, and loved ones; graduating seniors ran around like chickens with their heads cut off-squawking and fumbling about. What were more than 600 graduating seniors to do? Where were they to go to complain about this incredible fiasco? The purpose of this essay is to re-tell of a short descriptive thrilling event in third person.

Feeling all those eyes stare at me, I knew that my next few actions were vital to my survival. My sleep deprived state may have been the only thing keeping me from storming out of the bus right then and there. It also dictated my next action. Out of energy and fatigued, I decided it would be best to lay my head back and take a nap. I took the most angry, worried, and defeated nap imaginable on that bus ride to the track meet. Waking up to the gust of freezing wind that filled the bus as the door opened, and seeing the gargantuan football stadium made me realize that I had, in fact, survived the awkward bus ride to the regional meet. As I exited the bus and grabbed my pole, I expected to receive even more awkward stares, but alas, none were given. I concluded, with pole in hand, that if everybody had not forgotten about the incident already, they would once the track meet started. My anger temporarily ceased as we set up our tent. Once the tent was set up and I had put my pole in a safe position, my free hand reached for my phone. As I pulled out my phone and gently placed my thumb on the home button, the screen lit up. “7:25,” the screen said, as if to mock my anxiousness as I drove to

I glanced down at my watch with anticipation that I was about to be late, but the sun was barely visible beyond the trees of the park I was passing. "Four-thirty." I muttered sadly. I knew that this was going to be a day to remember, and yet had no idea why I felt that way. The cobblestones beneath my feet clacked in time with my breathing as the unconscious part of myself felt the urge to run. I sprinted the rest of the way to Main Street.

Up to now, the sky had been scattered powder-puff clouds, but it was changing. The sky that looked like beautiful ribbons, all a different shade of blue was now beginning to look like a blanket of darkness. The storm clouds thickened and out of the blue a wave heavy rain poured in torrents. I was lucky enough to get the first splatter of rain on my sweater when I was about 3 steps away from the building my class was being held in. I ran into the building while the rain turned the sidewalks and roads into vast lakes of dull, muddy water. I can’t emphasis to you how relieved I felt missing the downpour of all the rain. Dark smoky clouds covered the sky, only letting a few streaks of sun slip past the barrier. The repetitious sound of raindrops striking against the windowpane blended in with the occasional thunder that roared every 20 seconds. Everything was bleak, gray, and gloomy the class atmosphere felt dispirited than it usually was during exam week. People walked with water trickling down behind them while they steadily strolled to their seat. The prof didn’t start right away knowing that students were going to need a little more time getting to class. The thunderstorm was now beginning to sound like gunshots to ones ear…the uneasy feeling was

It was Friedrich Nietzschehas who said, “What doesn’t kill you makes, you stronger”. I like to call these moments in a person’s life, “defining moments”. Additionally, I like most people, have had a few of these “defining moments”; probably more than one person should. Growing up, I had a hard time accepting one of my “won’t kill you-make you stronger” moments. It was a moment of betrayal and deceit, inflicted upon by a person I trusted fully and completely, with my life. My mother.

Starting the dark dreary walk back home, I barely sensed the harsh pounding of raindrops on my forlorn face. Thunder crackled ominously overhead, a tidal wave of mucky water covered the dusty streets. The world seemed to be crashing before my numb, tear-stricken eyes.

My shoes are sodden once again. They can’t be heard over the rain that paints the sidewalk black but I can feel every water molecule clinging to my toes. I should know by now, after five years of living in Portland, that rain is a given yet here I am: frozen, hungry, anxious, waiting in the dark for a bus.

Ms. Napholz made us write these paragraphs on someone we have memories with. So, I decided to chose you since we have so many awesome memories together. I know that you will think this is very lame but I had to chose someone. Hopefully you will enjoy revisiting some of these moments we had together.

The whole time, I stared at the conductor’s movements, followed his every lead, making sure that I breathed at the right measures, and stayed focused. I became so engrossed with the piece that I forgot that I was singing; that I was living. I could feel the notes running through my body, my soul being controlled by its exquisitely written melody. It felt like a religious experience.

I felt overwhelmed with so many emotions, my heart was beating with every beat of the music. Smoke started to cover the stage and four boys emerged from the fog. I sound crazy saying this, but I do not think I have ever been more overwhelmed in my life. Screams, crying, and singing are all echoing around me as if I am completely still while everything is quickly moving around me. I could taste the cigarette smoke in my mouth from the woman behind me. The concert was filled with so much laughter, singing, and crying. I even made friends with a girl beside me with a green bandana, long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. As the lights faded, the boys left the stage and the stadium became quiet, however all at once, again everyone was talking and crying as they left the packed stadium into the chilly night.

One frigid and rainy Friday, I sat in Mr. Bursheim’s first hour class. I was sitting on my phone texting my friends as the rain poured onto the window. I was thinking how delighted I was that my plans for the weekend were going to be inside. My friends and I were planning on going bowling, seeing movies, and some other fun stuff.