My goal in life has never strictly been “to be famous”. I have always thought it would be cool to be a well-known writer, but my main goal has been to change someone’s life.

Then yesterday, I had an epiphany; the idea popping into my mind as suddenly as a bubble bursting. Him. I met him last August at a team cross country run. I thought he was just another weird little freshman.

He turned out to be a junior. He’d lived one crazy life up to the time I met him. Born in the streets of Guatemala, his early life was “survival of the fittest”. Going through two different orphanages he was eventually adopted and brought to the US with his two sisters.

The adjustment was difficult and very slow. Seven years later, he left his adopted parents’ house and moved 40 miles south to live with his godparents. This is when I met him.

The pain in his eyes was the most striking feature of his face. His eyes were very dark, I thought they were black. He never laughed, and very rarely smiled. He didn’t care about rules, and vehemently avoided conforming to society. He talked about serious, deep, philosophical questions.

Now, nine months later, he laughs. His eyes are a medium shade of brown, full of light, and he smiles easily. When he is expressionless, the corners of his mouth turn up now, instead of down. He admits his weaknesses now, at least to me. He talks about anything and everything. He continues to refuse to conform to society, but will follow rules for safety.

These past nine months have changed me as well. They have shown me characteristics of my own that I am not fond of. But now I can begin to change them. It’s been an emotional journey for both of us, but in the end, life is better now. He has taught me to do something crazy every once in awhile, to escape from the mountains of homework and drag of high school life, and that “it is better to be hated for you are, than loved for who you are not”. He has taught me to be free.

I always wanted to change someone’s life. But I realize now that I already have.