Write an essay in which you tell us about someone who has made an impact on your life and explain how and why this person is important to you.
Darkness eases all pain. The absence of light fetters unnecessary thoughts and numbs all senses. But where was this ease when I desperately searched for it? Even the darkest corner of my closet did not offer solace; this dire feeling did not go away. As the final bell sounded, I streamed along the flow of students, aiming for the closest exit, but within two steps into my journey, I sensed that something was amiss by the lockers. Two of my friends stood paralyzed as a girl (who, for this narrative purpose, will be named Godzilla) spewed "....I don't ever want to see you, or you," I approached, "or you, ever again in here." Godzilla's finger distinctly labeled the three of us as "unwanted," showing how our presence somehow offended her. Maybe, the ten-year-old me was not the fashionista of this present day, but my friends and I hardly qualified as eyesores, so why were we treated with such antagonism? As a child who thought that fairness and justice remained in its entirety, I gasped at the reality of her demeanor and thus decided that I must accost her haughty insults.I "accidentally" stepped over her foot and asked, "What's your problem?" Granted, my action and tone of voice was not deduced from reasoning; instead, I acted instinctively from a surge of rage. That was a mistake, but even more erroneous was my disillusioned thought that I could somehow resolve a conflict by intimidation. First of all, two people will not embrace and settle their differences if one intimidate the other. Secondly, I simply lacked the stature and carriage to evoke fear upon anyone. To put it into perspective, I was often described as a stick, a tree, and my personal favorite, a person who will be blown away in a storm. However, like a six pound Chihuahua who barks with more audacity than a German Sheppard, I thought myself as daunting and that my imposing confrontation had stopped her tirade. Just as I assumed victory and turned, Godzilla swung her backpack and the weight of her books thudded against my shoulders. Momentarily, I saw myself exacting revenge; I saw myself replying her invitation to initiate a war of backpacks. But I did not. Consciously, I knew that she was stronger, more determined, and had a heavier backpack.So I left. I told myself that this was just a common occurrence that any kid can experience, but as much as I wanted to believe, I, Godzilla, and spectators all knew that what happened to me and my friends was unique. With each step that I took, emotions gushed, and I felt the intensity of gravity's drag. The unique reason was too obvious to ignore. We were easy targets. We lacked confidence in unfamiliar surroundings. We were the Asian minority. We were misunderstood. Due to Godzilla's conduct, I began to question the world around me, wondering why such a conflict could occur in a society that was fair, equal, and peaceful. In essence, her harsh words and backpack swing were blows of reality, encouraging my fall from innocent, forcing me out of my fantasy. On the surface, Godzilla's conduct seemed to epitomize racial discrimination, victimizing the Asians kids based on their appearances. Underneath however, her behavior revealed the horrors of ignorance. Godzilla's lack of understanding for us foreigners led her to conclude that we were easy targets to intimidate. She did not understand our lives or how our emotions would behave; she did not know our dispositions, what afflictions our lives were riddled with, and because she did not know, she did whatever she wanted. For her, ignorance justified her actions, but at what cost? I had been a victim of ignorance; I felt misunderstood, insulted, embarrassed and had drowned myself in sorrow on her account. To this day, I still remember the exact facial gestures and body language Godzilla portrayed as she ranted. She was an unlikely figure to influence my character. In the short run, this conflict with Godzilla dampened my carefree life, but in the long stretch, she did me a favor. She had led me to realization of how ignorance can harm others. Because of her insults, I became more aware of my own uncertainties and the noxious effects that my own ignorance might inflict, that a lack of awareness can impact the misunderstood. Thus, although Godzilla' antagonism had stunned my innocence, her exploitation of ignorance ultimately led my conscience to regulate my own ignorance; Godzilla made me a better person.
