By: Mingyi Yang
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. In this beautiful spring season, we welcome our…”
The enthusiastic announcement over the radio spread throughout the school. After a long summer vacation, I had risen from primary school to junior high school — Middle School Attached to Shanxi Normal University. I sat in the new classroom, all around me are unfamiliar faces, teachers with different teaching methods, and changing subjects. Adapting and adjusting to a new environment was not easy for me. But as time went on, the enthusiasm of the teachers helped, and I gradually adapted to the new school life. I found partners, and together we discussed problems, laughed and chatted in the vast playground. They made my tedious school life much more fun.
In the middle of the semester, our school held the annual poetry recitation contest in order to relieve the students’ exhausting school life. I was very fortunate to be involved in this small program. I was excited, but at the same time, there was some uneasiness, because this was my first junior high school stage performance, and I wanted to win honor for our class.
I spent a lot of time practicing. Every day at school, under the guidance of the teacher, my companions and I practiced. Back home, I practiced in front of a mirror. Or I let my mom listen by my side, so she could help find any mistakes. On the night before the performance, I laid on the bed, and as my mind dwelled on the teacher’s guidance and advice, I gradually fell asleep. On the day of the contest, I sat quietly on a bench and waited. Suddenly, someone put a piece of paper in my hands, Looking back, I saw it was my good friend. I opened the note:
“Come On! You are the best.”
Watching my friends’ confident smiles, I saw the teachers’ and the classmates’ self-confidence. Together we yelled: Come on!
Standing on the stage, dazzling lights flashing at us, my note tightly hold in my hands, my friends and I read aloud the poem. The audience’s applause didn’t fail and lasted for a long time. Smiling, we excitedly ran down to join the other students. In the game to have excellent grades in our class, not only does our school give praise, our class also gives us crucial encouragement.
In the end, I understand: the basis of self-confidence is to do everything with confidence. Confidence allows us to naturally show our perfect self and to obtain outstanding results. The recitation contest is impressed deeply in my mind, a milestone in the journey of my life.
