I believe I exhibit five aspects of resilience higher than the others listed. Without a doubt in my funky little mind, I have strong morals. I remember getting into an argument with a friend a few years ago – back in the homeschool days – where we discussed (at the time) important moral quandaries. He was “deeply wrong” in my mind, which was an overreaction. Naturally, us both being tiny unhappy babies in business suits, we drifted apart much like an explosive and debris.
After the dramatic breakup, I decided that I needed to think and mature a little before I made friends again. I took the antisocial hermit route, and made a habit of double and triple checking my decisions, thinking back on the argument, and trying to become a better 10-year-old. I believe this demonstrates insightfulness.
For the first time since preschool, I joined the school system. I threw up the night before. I hated the way my backpack felt. I was in grade 6, and completely unaware that I was about to be given one of the best resources in my life: Danny O. I think I learned to love stories when I was in his class. I also learned that stories and learning aren’t so different from each other, in the sense that they can’t be done first try. I forgot that last bit for a while.
When I was about 12, I realized that “yep, that was totally all my fault that that fight happened.” I had poorly communicated and actually said the opposite of what I meant. But at the same time, I thought “hey, self-reflection!” and felt a little bit of pride that finally, being a hermit paid off!
Of course, by the time I had my epiphany, I had reconnected with some of my old friends and we were hanging out together. I didn’t yet see that these people would be some of my most valuable assets and that it would be incredibly easy to lose them. I’m still paying for that. But the hope is that this will establish a deeper connection with them. The hope.
