Most of the time people don’t realize what they truly have until it is too late. One trivial town or one trifling family-community tradition can change a person’s life forever. Forever in the Webster’s dictionary means, “For an endless time.” One small town or one small family-community tradition is never associated with someone’s character or how they walk through life when the ceiling is caving in. In the end, it will always come down to one thing and that one thing will change a person’s life forever.

Growing up, most of the time you think that everything revolves around you and you can have the entire world wrapped around your little finger. People don’t realize the things that happen to you and that you go through when your younger have a much larger effect on who you are than when you are much older. Judgement is high schools middle name, and that is one thing that can either break you or make you. Have you ever heard that confidence is the key? Have you ever misjudged someone… just because? Going through a much similar situation, I was able to grasp many of life’s true lessons and learn that I made a huge mistake. In the end, I also learned that one little town or one little family-community tradition can change who you are forever.

Have you ever been in high school before? Have you ever walked through the halls feeling that someone behind you is talking about you or those two girls over there are laughing about how you look? Have you ever felt so alone, even when you are in a crowd of hundreds of people? I felt that same way at first but, over time it changed and that has built the character that I showcase and present today. That one moment that picture perfect life lesson moment is that moment glued into your memory and that no one can take away. The story I am about to share with you will probably make you a little bit emotional, so I would like to inform you of that in advance. Besides that I hope that you enjoy the story I am about to share and learn that one little thing can really change a person forever.

I sat there in the gymnasium I didn’t say anything at first. It was again the first day of school, everyone talking about how amazing their summers were and what they did and who they spent it with. I sat there on the bleachers, and this girl walked in. She had straight brunette hair almost touching the middle of her back, and his pink book bag. I didn’t catch her face at first I didn’t really seem to care at this point. She continued to walk over to a group of her friends. She had turned around and I had finally seen her face, and at first I couldn’t put my finger on it but I knew that I knew her from somewhere. My first impression of her was literally, “a little spoiled conceded girl that got everything handed to her, and didn’t care about anything or anyone else.” Back then, I was just being a girl. I had picked out the first one I saw and hated her guts because she seemed much better and way prettier than me. I was just being your typical high school teenage girl. Guess what I heard though, this was the catch she plays softball too.

Time went on… and it was soon halfway through the semester. I tried to figure out who she was; I kept on thinking and thinking because I knew that I knew her from somewhere. Then, it was that one day I was looking through old pictures and I finally had figured it out. Her name was Emily, and we had played softball for a year during little league. That day I had finally figured it out, and I had mentioned to one of my friends. I sat there talking to one of my good close friends from middle school. When I said the name, Emily… and everything broke loose. I sat there as still as a bid and listened to all of the things that my friend said about her and how much she hated her. The reason it had surprised me so much because I never expected it coming from someone like her.  I asked her, and she gave me a very plausible reason. Then I thought about my first impression of her, and how I was in the wrong and how I really did misjudge her. I didn’t know her, I wasn’t friend with her and that gave me no right what so ever to go and hate her.

Time continued to go and, then spring had finally come. Last year, the softball team had volunteered their time to go and help out at MayFest. MayFest is just where the community and/or town of Odessa, Delaware gets together and raises money for the Corbit Calloway Memorial Library. The junior varsity team had a game that morning, so we were requited to go in the early morning to do our part. I had heard that Emily wasn’t going to be playing with us because of her and her family’s big involvement in MayFest.

It was the morning of, and that is when I realized everything. I walked with one of my teammates, and we had seen Emily standing there. It wasn’t really important what we said, because I honestly don’t remember. I never saw her out of school, so this was the day I got to see a totally different side of her. It had to be about an hour that we were there, and that’s when I realized that one town or family-community tradition can really impact and change a person’s life forever. I moved to Delaware when I was eight years old. I never got to grow up with friends, and then graduate high school with them since kindergarten or first grade. I never got the chance to live in a small little historical town, where the community came together did all of these different types of things. Seeing Emily, outside of school made me jealous of what she has and how blessed she is to have it. For once, I had seen Emily care about something and actually do something good for a change.

I could sit here and tell you everything about her and how I think differently of her now, but that isn’t the point I am trying to make. My point is, for starters high school is just four walls that don’t determine who you are in life. Yes, it does help you but, it doesn’t show you character building and it surely doesn’t show you how to climb mountains and walk through life when you have the wind blowing you down. Seeing Emily at MayFest, made me realize that town and that one thing meant something special to her, something that I wish I had grew up with.
Emily realizes what she has and I know that she greatly, greatly appreciates it. The thing wrong about that is out of everyone five people, I bet only one person will realize it. People wait until the last minute to say I love you and to make things right, and that is when it is too late. MayFest in Odessa has not just taught me not to judge someone just because but also that one town or one little family-community tradition can really effect someone’s life. You need to see that what you have is something that someone will never be able to have. You need to appreciate everything that you are given, because no matter what your parents love you and they will do anything and everything in their power to protect you.

Emily and I didn’t have to close best friends for me to realize this she just needed to be in the right place in the right time. She will never know how great full I am and how much she has done for me without even trying. Even when life is throwing you curve balls you have to swing because in the end those are the pitches that are going to take you far or keep you where you belong. Odessa had truly shaped Emily into the person she has become today, and everything that she does effects not just her life but many others. I am honored, to call her my friend as well as a teammate.