Don't be Blind-2013
At 21 years old, I can say I have learned a lot about life, and I know there is still more ahead of me. Some lessons come slowly, over time. Other things happen in a single moment and stay with you forever. For me, that moment came when I was 9 years old. It was a day that changed how I see people, trust people, and even life itself. I was outside with my friends, heading to the park. The truth is, I was not supposed to be out. My mom always told me to stay inside. She always says that friends could get you into trouble, that not everyone around you has your best intentions. At the time, I did not want to hear that. I believed that the people I was with understood me. I thought they were real friends.
As we were walking, we started chasing each other, just being kids. I remember running without paying attention, completely caught up in the moment. Then everything changed. I did not see the car backing out of a driveway, and it hit me. I cannot tell you how long I was unconscious, but I remember waking up to a group of people standing over me. I did not recognize a single person standing over me. There was a family that used to sleep in their car nearby. As a kid, I had a good idea, but you never really know anyone's situation. Now that I am older, I realize they were struggling, doing whatever they could to get by. They were there, along with others, surrounding me and trying to help.
One man kept asking if I was OK and if I needed an ambulance. I kept saying, “Yeah, I’m fine,” and no to the ambulance. The only thing on my mind was the fact that I was not supposed to be outside. I was more afraid of getting in trouble than I was of being hurt. He kept asking, but I stayed stubborn. I tried to stand up, even though my ankle was in serious pain. I just wanted to leave before anyone called the police or my parents found out.
As I looked around, something hit me even harder than the car did: my friends were gone. The same people I had been laughing with just moments before had left me there. They did not stay to check on me. They did not wait to see if I was ok. In my mind, they left me when I needed them most.
The moment stuck with me. I remember thinking, how could they just leave? How could people I trusted walk away like that? That was the first time I truly understood what my mom had been trying to teach me. The people you keep around you say a lot about who you are and where you are going. Not everyone who calls themselves your friend will be there when it matters. From that day on, I started to look at relationships differently. I realized that trust is not something you give away easily. The people you surround yourself with can either push you forward or hold you back. They can be one of your greatest investments or one of your biggest mistakes.
The experience also made me realize how fragile life is. At 9 years old, I came close to something that could have been much worse. It showed me that nothing is guaranteed; you cannot take moments or people for granted. The life you live and the circle you keep both matter more than you think. Looking back now, that day was one of the most important lessons I have ever learned. It is crazy to think that something so painful at the time could turn into something so valuable. It taught me awareness, independence, and how to recognize people's true colors.
At 21, I still carry that lesson with me and probably for the rest of my life. It influences how I move, how I trust, and how I build relationships. What could have been a tragic moment for my family became one of the most defining experiences of my life. And it is a lesson I will never forget.