An experience that taught a valuable lesson about life

Being the only child to a single parent can come along with challenges to both the parent and the child. We moved to the states when I was only two years old and this meant that my mother who is a single parent had to work day and night to make ends meet. I was always left at home alone or with a baby sitter who in most cases would disappear the moment my mother leaves the house for work. Television became my company whenever my mother was not around for the next one and a half years. Although situations normally force parents to leave their children most of the time by themselves, I must admit that such children do develop weird characters that may affect their entire lives. The turning point in my life was when I was enrolled in elementary school.

Elementary school was an impressionable time in my life and I believe everyone who passed through the elementary school shares the same sentiment. In school, it was a very new environment with fellow children and loving teachers, life had just begun for me. I had to coexist with children from different backgrounds and the teachers as well. One of the greatest life lessons I learned at the elementary school was how to respect others. I remember my teacher used to punish any child who offended their peers or any other misconduct towards your fellow classmates. Respect was paramount in my class and every child had to respect others regardless of race or any other social aspect. The respect I have for people from various backgrounds can be attributed to the life-changing experience I had at the elementary school.

At the elementary school, I learned that we dwell in a mixed society where there exists social hierarchy and that we are different yet all-important. As compared to the home where most of the time I used to be alone, in school we had black children, white children, Asians, and Latinos. As I progressed, I came to learn that people were varied even in character, there were some who were talkative, some quite, some playful other not and some outstanding in various activities held at school. For instance, those who were good in games were made captains in the various sports activities among others. Outstanding children were awarded or made school kings and queens and even in college and life outside, I find that there is a social hierarchy. There are college leaders, beauty kings, and queens and even at the workplace, you will always find there is a boss under every department.

Decision-making and independence are some important aspects of the lives of human beings. Knowing what to do under different circumstances is important for an individual to be successful in life. The process of decision making at times may be challenging depending on the matter at hand, but a good decision maker always carries the day. As I progressed, there was a need to cope with pressure from fellow children and even teachers in some instances. At times, it used to be survival for the tough, if, by any chance you showed a sign of weakness, other students would take advantage and bully you making life miserable at school. This was a time to show the ability to stand strong and resist bullying. The fact that school was a mixed society, there were children with weird characters or bad habits that could easily influence others. Decision-making skills were sharpened in elementary school where you had to stand for the right thing despite the peer pressure. I find independence and decision making lessons I got back in those years still useful and I believe they are virtues that will continue to have a positive impact on my life.

A good decision-maker is one who pays attention to others and it is a fact that there are people who have been dismissed by their employers for failure to follow instructions. Paying attention is as well important even in studies for an individual to understand a subject and excel. When I first joined the elementary school, I remember having a very short attention span. Whenever the teacher started teaching one would get to destruct, which always earned a form of punishment from the teacher. At school, there was time for everything it was not played all the time, the tight teaching schedules, other activities were mandatory, and all children had to go through the same. With time, I developed an interest and could pay attention to the teachers and even instructions at home, this made me excel in high school and get to college. Although being in elementary schools are usually trying times for most children, it changed and shaped my life.