Sherry Morales
English 101
Jason
November 26, 2013

You Just Never Know How can something so fun, end up being dangerous? As a kid everything should be fun, right? At age six I knew what I was doing, just didn’t realize my surroundings. It sometimes is impossible to believe that I am blind from my right eye. For fourteen years I have been living a normal life without seeing from my right eye. I’d say for about six or seven years I would cry when people asked me what happened or just stare at me and talk about, well my eye. It was really hard for me but like my mom says, “You are a strong beautiful girl, you are better than them, and plus those are just words. And hey, if they keep talking their nonsense, then say something back, don’t just stay quiet. Look up for yourself.” Freshman year was the most exciting, scariest and adventurous year for me. I never knew how much people would care who you talk to or hang out with, you know, all the stuff you see on TV. I thought it was just entertainment but no; I was living it for real. As usual we introduce each of us to the class and talk about each other. Well when I was up in the front talking some guy interrupted me and said, “Ha ha look, she has a lazy eye.” Some students laughed and said other things. Of course the teacher sent him to the office. As I was standing in the front, I was just starring at them laugh and say other things. I wanted to cry SO badly, but my mom’s words came to mind and I just went to my desk and sat down quietly. Throughout the summer, going to my sophomore year, I had gotten more aggressive. Not mean or anything for no reason, I just stood up for myself. I was tired of people laughing or making horrible comments about me. Math is something I enjoy doing and learning. We had to pick a random partner to do a project. This guy chooses me. We started working and everything until I caught his attention when I looked at him eye to eye. He realized I had a bad eye just didn’t say nothing, until he finally asked me, hesitated but asked, “Hey not to be mean or anything but do you have a lazy eye?” I stayed quiet then looked and him and told him my story to what happened. There is a difference between asking and just saying something to your face. It is better to ask than to comment, especially when you don’t know the fact. I decided to join Tennis. Junior year I tried out and made it to varsity. My coach knew about my eye but saw how it didn’t affect me at all. Didn’t see a problem with me. People then looked up to me for continuing to live life and not let this problem hold me back. I was going for any opportunity that I wanted. Honestly no one ever said something negative about me after they knew that I stood up for myself, ignored them and saw how many things I did with my blind right eye. At times I wish I could see from it but then I tell myself I’m good. I can breathe, eat, talk, walk, run, etc. There are more people out there who are worse than me so I have nothing to complain about. My three years of high school were adventurous. From being sentimental to saying this has to stop. My coach admired me. She even asked me to help her teach little kids how to play tennis. One of my junior teachers was even impressed with me because she knew I was different and knew that I can do it if I set my mind to it. Little things like that made me even stronger and continue on just living life to the fullest. Senior year finally came, got my pictures taken; year booked signed, prom, the whole enchilada. English class was the last class I had before we were dismissed and never ever going back to high school. We just had to write and essay about something that has happened to you and you don’t regret. Well I knew exactly what to write about. My eye. How it happened, why and no I would not go back to change the pass. As I was writing that essay I was thinking about the time I was in middle school to now. The struggle I went through. From crying at nights to sometimes skipping school. How this accident made me stronger as a person. I wasn’t afraid to look at someone anymore. My head wouldn’t look down when I talk to you, or look away. This essay made me realize that I made a huge difference in life. Surprisingly when my accident occurred, I didn’t cry. To make this long story short…I was six, living in Chicago, my brother was involved in a gang, Latin Kings. They were our neighbors. So the Latin Kings protected us, they are really nice people and mind their own business. I was really close with their kids. I played with them after I got home from school, weekends, always. I ended up dressing, not like them, in the same colors they rep. One night, kids are supposed to be inside by ten pm, but me not caring I stayed outside and played with my toys, a car was slowly driving by us, ended up shooting at us, some people got out the car, attacked us and I ended up being one of them who was getting beat up. It was another gang, 2’6. From all the punches, and slaps I got, they ended up messing up my eye. A month later I was good, still could see, but just fragile. Maybe 3 or 4 months later, I had another accident. I went outside late, decided to play with a ball and a tree branch. Just hit it around. The ball rolled down a curve, as I was chasing it, I didn’t see this rock, which made me trip and jam the tree branch in my eye. Surprisingly I didn’t cry or be all dramatic about it. I simply took the stick out of my eye, held hands to my eye and walked towards my house. “Mom, my eye hurts, and there is blood coming out of it,” I said calmly.
“NICOLE! WHAT HAPPENED? MARIO, MARIO,” screamed my mom. I was literally just starring at my mom hold me tight and picking me up and headed to the car. The doctors told my parents that I was permanently blind from my right eye. And all my vision was going to my left eye. See things may seem how you want them to be but when it is done, a huge surprise hits you in the face. For me, eye, ha. I at times even joke around my eye. It literally is not a big deal no more. I am I, and that will never change. No one, no words will make me weak. The past is the past. I do have those moments and think to myself, what if. What if I could go back in time to when I was six and just listened to my mom when she told me not to go outside and play? What if I just went inside before ten and I could still see from my right eye? What if … didn’t take me long enough to answer those questions. I said “You know what Nicole, this was your fault for not listening to what was right for you. Nope I don’t wish to go back in time and yes, I’m ok with my eye being blind. Nicole you know there is a lot of doctors out there that can help you get your eye fixed. If I lived fourteen years like this, what can one more year do to you? After you turn 21, you know it’s surgery time. No biggie.”