Progressing In the New World
(Chapter 1 of I Needed A Hero So I Became One)
Well, there's this motivational line I read on some social media platform, "when life gives you lemons, turn them into lemonade and enjoy." I guess I got a whole field of lemons from life, and all I could do was make lemonade; why? Because in a situation like this, where you've already escaped a war, unharmed and your body fully intact, you know there's nothing worse coming at you. You're already prepped up to take any difficulty head-on, and that's what you must be doing when survival is at stake – quitting, weeping, and succumbing to the problems of life isn't an option. When it came to you, the difficulty, no matter how monolithic it was, was always miniature compared to your will and your capacity to survive. Hit that shot, make it big,
I started conquering one barrier at a time, it was difficult, but life never gave it to you in a silver platter, if you want it, you batter giddy-up for a trot through the swamps, a ride through the thorns and vanquish the course that's set for you – no complains. To begin with, I started with the linguistic barrier; everyday communication had to be made accessible; enrolled in high school, I had realized on the very first day, if I wanted to shine, I had to learn the language. This is how I'll put it; being a teen was hard enough, and not communicating was harder. Silence won't get me anywhere. Got myself enrolled in an English language course and aced it. Made it through, and why not? I was the sharper one and saw my dad struggling through daily life.
While in the course, the benefits started unraveling; I was participative and quickly learned what was being taught. Well, on a lighter note, my most challenging subjects were history and science, so all those who find it hard with them, I guess they're actually quite tricky, and it's not a problem with us.
A few months into high school, I started making progress, writing essays, going for co-curricular activities, and guess what, I had progressed enough to create an International Club too.
Language barrier – handled.
A lot of stuff got handled the moment I knew how to communicate. My high school studies became more manageable, and I moved on, maybe further than I could have done back in my homeland. I chose volleyball and tennis as my friends to energize me after the hassle. And it really did work for me; all the toll that studies and your errands have on you can miraculously deplete if you have a recreational activity scheduled.
Everything was tremendously toiling, I had already started volunteering for the elderly, helping them with their routine, helping at the City Hall and charity work with Catholic Charities, the Big Sister, Big Brother group sessions and activities; in short, accomplishments were flowing in well.
But how was it possible? One thing that's a life lesson; giving back to society, helping others in the community, and trying to make a difference for others is what does wonders for you.
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