Ever had so much stress that it feels like its gonna break your bones? Well, we teenagers are experts at emphasizing and magnifying our troubles! But let me tell you, being a pessimist is not a great option. How you perceive the world, in a positive or a negative way, matters a lot in life, and this story here is an example. So read on...
There was nothing actually wrong with his life. All was good. After all, he was just a kid. He was just making a big deal out of the smallest of snags. He was just being paranoid. “Ok I’ve got to stop with the self pity”, he thought to himself. But somehow he couldn’t bring himself out of his trance. He knew what others would say. “Distract yourself. Listen to music. Do something you like.”. “Yeah like I haven’t heard that a thousand times already”, God he was so easily irritated today.
Something didn’t feel right. Even the music did nothing to soothe him like it had done for so many months. It just seemed to disturb him today. He slammed the door on his way out of the house. No one questioned him as his bike roared to life and he was gone in a flash. The wind playing with his long hair did nothing to lift his spirits. The long distance his bike seemed to swallow at an enormous rate did not make him feel like a king today. He just felt like he was headed nowhere…just a long road leading nowhere, into nothingness.
A few minutes into the seemingly never ending ride, he reached his favorite spot. As he carefully parked his vehicle, he made sure like always that it could not be seen. He deliberately left his cell phone wrapped in his jacket on his bike and started walking. He walked for a few minutes and finally reached the lake. It was his ultimate escape. Like a child’s secret, he had clutched the existence of his place to himself, never to be shared with anyone. He had discovered this place a long time ago when he was just a kid. Going away for a “long drive” on his brand new bicycle, the 8-year-old him had uncovered one of the most beautiful worlds by literally falling into it. Except that as he walked over to his favorite spot beside the lake, he learned with a surprise that it was already occupied.
The girl turned around at the sound of his footsteps and did not seem to be surprised seeing him at this secluded spot.” So there is someone who knows about this paradise”, she drawled lazily as she dipped her hand in the cool water and waved it around before pulling out a perfect round stone from the water and gazing at it. She made no move as he sat down beside her and asked her, “Do you also come here often? I thought no one came to this place.” “So did I” she replied. “”I also live in the next city. I sometimes come here to relax. And you?”She continued without taking her eyes off the shiny stone.
“I come here to escape” his reply was simple.
“From what?”
“What do you mean? My life of course.”
At this she laughed lightly and turned around before replying, “You think the world depends on you, don’t you? You have all the problems to worry about. If you want to escape, may I suggest a more permanent escape than sitting here in the middle of nowhere for a few hours and then going home as if nothing happened?”
He was surprised by her sudden cold tone and struggled for words. As she saw him shaking his head in desperation, she stood up and let out an exasperated sigh. Looking down at him, she said her final words of wisdom-“you know what? If I were you, I would try to cheer up and not be a pain for the ones I love. You are young. Stop acting like the president of the USA and lighten up. Stop creating problems for yourself and enjoy while you can. You will regret these very days thinking to yourself why in the world you never thought about taking a dip in the cool water instead of throwing stones in it.”
Finishing her short speech, she paused for a moment before turning to go but then changed her mind. She looked back at the dumbfounded boy before her and bent down, took his hand in hers and placed the small stone in his palm.” Think of it as a beautiful piece of the earth, a gift of nature, not as a hard rock that could be thrown away without a second glance. The way you look at things matter a lot, you know.” She said as she walked away.
He watched her walk away in the direction of the city. He came back to his favorite spot and decided to take a dip in the clear lake after tucking the small stone in the inner pocket of his jacket. The wind whipping his hair seemed to be caressing him, and he felt like a king as his bike swallowed up the long distance like a hungry giant on the ride back home.
There was nothing actually wrong with his life. All was good. After all, he was just a kid. He was just making a big deal out of the smallest of snags. He was just being paranoid. “Ok I’ve got to stop with the self pity”, he thought to himself. But somehow he couldn’t bring himself out of his trance. He knew what others would say. “Distract yourself. Listen to music. Do something you like.”. “Yeah like I haven’t heard that a thousand times already”, God he was so easily irritated today.
Something didn’t feel right. Even the music did nothing to soothe him like it had done for so many months. It just seemed to disturb him today. He slammed the door on his way out of the house. No one questioned him as his bike roared to life and he was gone in a flash. The wind playing with his long hair did nothing to lift his spirits. The long distance his bike seemed to swallow at an enormous rate did not make him feel like a king today. He just felt like he was headed nowhere…just a long road leading nowhere, into nothingness.
A few minutes into the seemingly never ending ride, he reached his favorite spot. As he carefully parked his vehicle, he made sure like always that it could not be seen. He deliberately left his cell phone wrapped in his jacket on his bike and started walking. He walked for a few minutes and finally reached the lake. It was his ultimate escape. Like a child’s secret, he had clutched the existence of his place to himself, never to be shared with anyone. He had discovered this place a long time ago when he was just a kid. Going away for a “long drive” on his brand new bicycle, the 8-year-old him had uncovered one of the most beautiful worlds by literally falling into it. Except that as he walked over to his favorite spot beside the lake, he learned with a surprise that it was already occupied.
The girl turned around at the sound of his footsteps and did not seem to be surprised seeing him at this secluded spot.” So there is someone who knows about this paradise”, she drawled lazily as she dipped her hand in the cool water and waved it around before pulling out a perfect round stone from the water and gazing at it. She made no move as he sat down beside her and asked her, “Do you also come here often? I thought no one came to this place.” “So did I” she replied. “”I also live in the next city. I sometimes come here to relax. And you?”She continued without taking her eyes off the shiny stone.
“I come here to escape” his reply was simple.
“From what?”
“What do you mean? My life of course.”
At this she laughed lightly and turned around before replying, “You think the world depends on you, don’t you? You have all the problems to worry about. If you want to escape, may I suggest a more permanent escape than sitting here in the middle of nowhere for a few hours and then going home as if nothing happened?”
He was surprised by her sudden cold tone and struggled for words. As she saw him shaking his head in desperation, she stood up and let out an exasperated sigh. Looking down at him, she said her final words of wisdom-“you know what? If I were you, I would try to cheer up and not be a pain for the ones I love. You are young. Stop acting like the president of the USA and lighten up. Stop creating problems for yourself and enjoy while you can. You will regret these very days thinking to yourself why in the world you never thought about taking a dip in the cool water instead of throwing stones in it.”
Finishing her short speech, she paused for a moment before turning to go but then changed her mind. She looked back at the dumbfounded boy before her and bent down, took his hand in hers and placed the small stone in his palm.” Think of it as a beautiful piece of the earth, a gift of nature, not as a hard rock that could be thrown away without a second glance. The way you look at things matter a lot, you know.” She said as she walked away.
He watched her walk away in the direction of the city. He came back to his favorite spot and decided to take a dip in the clear lake after tucking the small stone in the inner pocket of his jacket. The wind whipping his hair seemed to be caressing him, and he felt like a king as his bike swallowed up the long distance like a hungry giant on the ride back home.
Awesome !! :)
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