by Avery S. | Age 10
Nitzanim ’21
Walnut Creek, CA
It was a breathtaking day at summer camp. The wind was blowing, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, everywhere on campus was amazing, and the campus was huge. But the next thing my counselor Bri (cheese), the karate sports specialist, said made it not so beautiful.
“We are going to the tower after breakfast.” I tried to take a breath, but I was super scared.
After breakfast was over, I was freaking out. My heart started beating in my chest! It was time to hike to the TOWER. Every step I took made me so scared, it was an enormous walk, but more like a hike so it bought me some time until we had to do it. We got there a little bit later, and I looked up and gulped. A humongous tower stood in front of me. The butterflies in my stomach grew fifty times larger, like a balloon expanding larger and larger until it pops.
The other two groups had gone. It was the last group, me. I started to tremble! We all got harnessed up, it was time. I started climbing. Oh no, I thought, it’s so high I’ll never make it, but I proceeded and then I glanced down!
Trust me, it’s not a smart idea. I started trembling and rattling. I could hear my friends down below screaming, “You got this Avery, go!” but I was so high the sound was a little drowned out. I could hear enough though.
So I kept going! I pulled myself up to the wooden platform. I knew I got a splinter, but I didn’t stop. I was standing at the top of the tower! I could not believe it, I looked down and I actually wasn’t scared. I was towering over everyone! I grinned; I felt triumphant; I’ve never felt more alive; I felt like I could do anything, like I was unstoppable! I felt like a superhero who just saved the universe.
As I look back… I realize I want to do it again. I will always remember how great I felt at the top of the tower. A hope or a wish I have is to challenge myself even more next time, and feel the same way again. I realized if you don’t try you’re never going to succeed.