It all began in 2nd grade and ended 7th grade. That one shot. Someone’s one mistake.

Sunny, a current Junior in Walnut High School, lives in Diamond Bar and enjoys playing sports, but loves her friends even more. The friends that she met after one unfortunate accident that led to misfortune and disaster. Ever since a young age, she enjoyed playing sports, such as: tennis, horseback riding, and golf. She truly enjoyed and respected golf: “Every since I was little, I’ve always had this competitive nature. I’m competitive in both academics and sports. It’s something you need to earn... takes hours and hours of practice and you can see the results.” Sunny took on challenges and relished the hard work she put in. That was until she lost it all after one tragic accident.

Thunk! That was the sound of a golf ball hitting her exactly on the eye and ending her golf career. That was the cause of her surgery, which stole her 5 months of her life in school. “When I went back to school, the couple months I was gone, everyone moved on so it felt bad and I had to make up several tests...But, I met the best friends who I have now because of it.” Although she lost a great period of time and couldn’t talk with her friends, she recalls positive emotions from the memory because of the people she met through her experience and the aftermath. The excruciating pain from the punch shot could not take away her happiness of the memory, because she learned to persevere through hardships and appreciate the great friends she found.

Sadly, Sunny couldn’t launch her golf career as spectacular as she wanted it to, despite her hard work and dedication, but she moves on from her short-lasting career. She enjoys challenges and seeing with her own eyes the results of her perseverance. Thus, she replaces her inopportune experience with mostly positive emotions from her solid friendships she acquired.

<Sara Lim Sonora HS 11th Grade>