Jaylen Gwyn

RCL II

This past summer I went to the beach with a friend and it just so happened to be one of
those summer days where the clouds quelled the sun enough for you to forget how hot you were
for a bit until you noticed the sweat forming on your brow ridge. So when we got there we laid
our towels out and sat for a little until those warning drops began to form. Now, no beach trip is
complete without at least putting your feet in the water. And I would’ve been perfectly content
with just that. It didn’t take more than a single hydrogen molecule making contact with one of
my toes skin cells to evoke images of the frozen tundra landscapes this water must have
traversed from. My friend was puzzled to turn around and see I had stopped wading in around
knee height. She beckoned me to follow her and when I shook my head no I subjected myself to
the age old debate where the crux of the opposing reasoning is “it’s not that cold once you get
in” whether she was right or wrong my body did not want to find the threshold for warmth at that
moment. For some reason she thought physical action would prevail my stubborn tendencies and
I was made victim to fits of pushing and pulling. Finally, at splashing I had to draw the line. I
exited the water and found my way back to my towel. After some time I got hot again and left to
stand in the water for a second time. As I stood there, alone this time, I found myself making it
as far as waist deep. That’s when a large wave started to form but instead of retreating I closed
my eyes and dove in. It was liberating to let go of my uncomfort concerning the temperature and
as I was walking back to my towel something dawned on me, something that now plays a factor
in just about every major decision I've made since then. It's a belief I think I've always had, but
just never took the time to put into words, which is, no one knows the best pace for you, but you.
The mere fact my friend was trying to force me into the going under the water, turned me off of
the idea completely. Yet when I was left to my own devices I began to realize what I may be
missing out on and took action. If you’re like me there is enough going on in your own head
already, so when others attempt to influence your decisions about personal matters it may only
cause even further disarray. No one should know you better than you know yourself, and if you
take the time to analyze and understand your traits, tendencies, feelings, thoughts, whatever it
may be, trusting your instincts will become second nature. I personally feel your own personal
intuition should be the compass by which you navigate the unyielding seas of life. However, this
does not mean all recommendations are insignificant. Advice can be the most effective when it is
weighed and considered against one's own thoughts on whatever matter. Others still have their
own unique experiences and perspectives that drove them to try to push whatever it is upon you,
but if there is any inkling it's not what's best for you, resist. It only takes a bit of creative thinking
to realize in life you always have a choice so others that would force you into things do not
always have to get their way. The voice in your own head is much more familiar with your wants
and needs than anyone else. When I got back to my towel I told my friend I had gone under. She
accused me of being difficult and not doing it previously just to spite her and I said, “I just wasn't
ready,”. She can’t read my mind, but she did not help by assuming its contents either. Knowing
when you are ready to “go under” is hard, but I’d rather be wrong about myself than let someone
else be wrong about me at the cost of hushing my own voice on the matter.