True Courage

How delighted I was when I realized that summer vacation was about to end. Not only was I excited because the coming school year will become the most memorable (and probably, most enjoyable) year in high school, but also, because I will be taking up some subjects that will finally be available to me because I’ve reached my final year in high school.

Our first day in fourth year high school was different from the days we’ve had before in the past few years. Instead of just listening to boring lectures and soporific lullabies from our teacher, we were subjected to a forty-minute speech from our school disciplinarian. He said that because it was our final year in high school, we will be given special privileges that are only entitled to fourth year students. We were to manage the people studying in the lower levels; we were to set an example for them to follow.

Of course, this privilege isn’t ours for free. In place of physical education classes, we were to undergo physical and mental training instead. Everyone in our class remained quiet. It seemed that nobody dared to object the authority.

One Friday, there was an order that all of the fourth year students were to appear at the school playground after Chinese classes. Because I was not feeling well, I was excused. I stayed home and took some rest.

The next day at school, our training program was about to start. I was feeling so much better already. Still, I had to persuade my mom that I was already in good condition before she allowed me to join. She must have thought that I may not have enough strength to overcome the day’s tough challenges.

As we were starting our stretching exercises, my hearing in my right ear stopped. This was then followed with my left ear. After a few seconds, what I can see are but total darkness.

When I finally came back to my senses, I realized that I was already sitting on a platform in front of everybody else. A feeling of bewilderment arose within me. What must have happened? Did I push myself too hard? This question kept bothering me.

When all of us were given a thirty-minute break, my friends surrounded me and asked me how I was feeling. Of course, I told them that I was feeling perfectly okay and that the incident would never happen again, although there was a slight pain near my stomach. When break time was over, our commander told us that we would be having our toughest exercises the following week. Because of the tone of the voice our commander used, the following Saturday was named “Hell Day.”

Mom insisted that we go see our family doctor, who is a renowned acupuncturist from Taiwan. I was shocked when I heard him say that my liver was injured because of stress. He prescribed some alternative medicine and gave me a bit of advice on what to eat, what to wear, and what to do in times of emergency.

Hell Day has finally arrived. I couldn’t explain the terrible condition I was in. I was sick and was still experiencing cramps in my stomach. When we were given our task, I just prayed and asked God for help. We had to do twenty-five push-ups, forty jumping-jacks, thirty squat-rushes, and run thirty-five laps, respectively.

I managed to do the first three exercises successfully. I could hear voices of panting as many of us are already pushing themselves up to their limit. All that is left was to run thirty-five laps. We all thought that the final exercise will be the easiest; however, we were proven to be all wrong by our commander.

We were to run thirty-five laps around our school gymnasium. We were to climb the stairs, run down the hallway, tread down the stairs, jog to the other side of the gymnasium, climb the stairs again, go down the other side, and return back to our original position. That makes one lap.

I could see that most of us were already weak and were already struggling for breath. When I was starting to lose my energy, I quickly took out my inhaler from my pocket and rubbed it against my nose. My energy was surprisingly replenished. “The doctor’s sure was effective,” I thought to myself. With a determined mind and spirit, I continued running on constant speed for ten more laps.

While I was starting to feel like giving up, one of my favorite songs suddenly popped out from my head. The lyrics go like this: You must try to be stronger. You can overcome life’s ups and downs; you can turn your life around. Don’t ever give up trying! Be courageous, keep on striving. You’re not alone, so just hang on. Let’s hold hands with one another. We can both take one step further. Find the hope that’s deep inside; find the strength that keeps your dreams alive. That’s the meaning of true courage.

Meanwhile, my favorite poem, entitled "Invictus," also entered my head...

I am indeed the captain of my soul. Encouraged by my favorite song and my favorite poem, I became one of the first people who accomplished the exercise. All glory and praise to the Lord.

I remember myself being questioned in an interview. The question was: What are your three moral values in life? After pondering for a few seconds, I answered the following: efficiency, honesty, and patience. If you were to ask me the same question again, my answer would now be courage, determination, and perseverance, for these three drives me forward in pursuing my life’s greatest dreams.

I believe... I can achieve.