Courage

Courage
Student’s Name
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Courage
“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth.” Those were the words of King Solomon (Lima, 2016). Though I am conscious of the fact that praising oneself might sometimes look odd, there are some traits which am very convinced that I possess. One such quality is courage. The world has become very harsh and unforgiving. In the world of today, people who look as innocent as a lamb are potential aggressors. To succeed in such an environment, one must be resilient, bold, and fearless like me.
I was, however, not born courageous. In fact, throughout my time in elementary school, my parents always accused me of being timid. The justification for their claims is that I would look down whenever they were introducing me to their friends. Nonetheless, people change (Lima, 2016). The turning point was on a sunny Wednesday afternoon when I was in high school.
Our school was known all over the county and the lands beyond due to our athletic prowess. In that year, we were the reigning champions. Though I was not in the team that marched to glory in the previous year, I was working hard and waiting for my turn. About three months before this fateful day, something that left sadness all over our faces had happened; our dean, Mr. Peterson retired. Peterson was a darling of many students. We loved him for his fun and charisma. He had a special relationship with the athletics team. He always accompanied the team to tournaments and rewarded all winners handsomely.

There was now a new dean in office. He had been there for almost three months. In the three months, the mood of the school had changed. There were murmurs of discontent from every corner of the school. The dean had altered the school routine significantly. For example, he abolished bonding sessions. This was time set aside for students to interact with each other and the teachers. Unlike, most of my schoolmates, that was the least of my concerns; I grew up knowing that people should learn to accept change.
With a new man in office, the athletics teams were dejected and isolated. During school meetings, the dean often complained that members of the athletic club featured prominently in indiscipline cases. He seemed to suggest that there was an apparent link between athletics and indiscipline (Lima, 2016). We all knew that the new dean would crack the whip on the athletic team. The question was “when.” As a wise man once said, time tames everything.
It was a school tradition that on Wednesday afternoons, we would congregate in the assembly hall for the dean’s address. As usual, I was seated in the third row from the lectern. I was surrounded by my classmates. That is how we always sat. The hall was noisy. People were busy narrating something to their friends. Those who had nothing to describe were laughing loudly.
The noise was abruptly swallowed by a deafening silence when the dean entered the hall. The tall and well-built man marched authoritatively to the podium and started delivering his address right away. He mentioned about cleanliness, discipline, and staying focused. We were used to hearing those things. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he announced that the school would soon limit the number of friendlies and tournaments that all sports teams would be allowed to attend.
That announcement pierced me right in the middle of my heart. I looked around the hall, and everyone seemed indifferent. Even our captain was unmoved. I remember raising my hand and rising to my feet gallantly. “But Sir….,” I started. I went ahead and explained the immense benefits of sports and physical exercise. I also reminded the dean and the audience about the history of the school as far as games were concerned. I concluded by asking the dean to reconsider that decision. I can also remember sitting down amidst cheers, claps, laughter, and applause. A first time feeling ran through me, I felt like a freedom fighter (Lima, 2016).
Though he was a daring man, the new dean did not like public confrontations. The atmosphere in the hall was now charged. The dean quickly promised to consult widely before implementing the new measures. For a few days that followed, I was the talk of the school. I had risen from an ordinary schooler to a hero of many. Though I had some feeling of guilt and fear of victimization, that was the beginning of my stories of courage. It was one of the significant instances that made me the audacious person I am. Today, I never hesitate to question anything that I feel it is not right.
Reference
Lima, C. (2016). Therapeutic children’s book: “I Managed to Overcome my Fears.” European Psychiatry, 33, S768.