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Shu Yi Neoh
Mrs. Park
English 106I
January 19, 2015
Turning Point
We all have a sacred moment where we changed the way we act, or behave. I call
it a turning point. This moment happened to me through my mother, as her hand landed
hard on my cheeks. As the pain course through my cheeks, as the temporary redness
emerged from my otherwise rather pale face, my brain was entering a momentarily
moment of speechlessness, of shock. It had never occurred to me, that a single moment of
bluntness would bring forth such a faith. After all these years, I was glad my mother took
such abrupt action towards me.
My family went by everyday of the year, in a great challenge. Everyday was a
race, and we fought for ourselves till the very end. I was young and nave. At the age of
five, I was living in my little bubble of elation and ignorance. I spent majority of my time
playing with my cousins.

I was constantly told by my mother, on how important

education is, of how studying is vital in the society today. Honestly, I never understood
why I had to work hard. Everyday was a blissful day to me. In my opinion, why engage
in activities I lack in interest? What I failed to realize, was while I was enjoying the
comforts my parents provided, they had to endure the constraint money placed on them,
on how to make ends meet everyday.
My mother was extremely gloomy one day. I could not tell why, and I decided to
make jokes to enlighten the mood. That was when she stuck me hard on the face while

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her tears flowed copiously from her eyes. I could not comprehend her actions, because it
was an illogical respond to a joke. Anger took over me, and I demanded explanation to
such unjust action she just bestowed on me. She pulled me by my ears, sat me down and
laid out her piece of mind to me. The hardcore truth I needed to hear. The reason behind
the laid back life my cousin have in comparison to me, how their lack of efforts in the
plans they have for their future, the leniency I was never given when I scored low in my
tests, as they just shrugged it off with their parents every time. It was all because while I
have a doctor uncle, I was born to my illiterate father and mother, who lives in a cramped
apartment, as compared to the majestic house my uncle owns with a lawn I used to run
on.
As my mother laid out a significant logic behind her high expectation towards me,
I realized my vulnerability would only put me in disadvantage. I made a promise to
myself. I owe it to myself to work hard, to become the best I could be. I have to take
control, and own it. I worked really hard. For the first time, I took studying seriously at
the age on nine. I struggled through every class, working through math with my sister.
Eventually, I began loving reading. It was a slow progress, from reading academic books,
to non-fiction, and lately, self-development books. Reading sparked curiosity in me that I
never knew existed within me. I took reading as a pathway of escape. To explore the
world out there, and to remind myself how very lucky I am. It was through words, I could
tell apart human emotions. I have encountered moments of depression, and moments of
exceptional joy, all possible traces of human emotions documented by words. It was
through these words, that I learnt to relate to those emotions the writer tries to portray.

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Reading about people inspired me to express myself through writing. I will write
bits and pieces of my feelings occasionally in a beautiful book my sister gave me as a gift
during my twelfth birthday. There are moments, memories we keep to ourselves. Wedged
between the dilemma of the effects on the story and the reaction they may have, I made it
a book entry instead. Words dont reveal secret unless they are read. I used to love writing
phrases and short sentences casually, with no clear grammar conciseness. After all, what
pieces those words together was inconsequential to the meaning behind.
This routine became a prominent way in my self-discovery. Slowly, my writing
was improving at a tremendous speed too. I continued to work hard, to be the person to
bring ease to my parents. Understanding the sacrifices they make to give the best to me,
made me even more ambitious than ever. The realization of what is priority to me, and
how I progressed to be so much more mature, made me understand the value of life.
I am glad my mother slapped me. As odd as it sounds, it is even more bizarre
acknowledging this fact. As I thought through my life right now, I have come to realize
how much my maturity comes though that single seed my mother planted into my mind.
A clearer perspective of what is around me. I am grateful for the life I have now, a student
embarking on the journey of a life I know will be comprises of a fair share of both
challenges and successes. Either way, I am ready to embrace all the ups and downs my
future holds for me. I am no longer the little girl who doesnt know what lies ahead. I
have hopes, and plans for myself. In the far future, I aspire to write for leisure as a
columnist in magazine publications such as TIMES, expressing my perspective and
opinion to the world, while being equally successful in my future job, as a chemical
engineer.

(926 words)

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