It was my first day of second grade and like any eight year old I thought I was invincible. I thought that nothing bad could happen to me unless I brought it upon myself. Living on Locust Street since the age of five sparked my interest in my neighbor’s large locust tree. As I was walking to school thinking I was as cute as can be in my braided pigtails the unthinkable happened.

My first step under the old locust tree landed me the most petrifying experience I’ve ever had walking to school, my favorite place at the time. A bird had pooped on my head, on my beautiful pigtails. I was mortified. The warm autumn air suddenly changed into a still, wintry air. The fresh scent of flowers descended into an unruly stench of road kill. I reached up to feel my head and my stomach jumped to my heart. The gooey nature of the substance on my head led me to tears.

I ran home crying because the humiliation had overwhelmed me. My face turned as crimson as a tomato as the neighbor kids laughed at me. I did not find any part of this situation humorous at the time. Once I entered my house I threw a fit. The disgusting bird droppings were still on my head and it was beginning to make me sick. My mind was tangled and I did not know what I was going to do next. My mom wet a wash rag and wiped me clean. This, however, was not satisfying enough for me. I wanted to shower again because I felt dirty all over. I began to think some more about what happened and remembered that I still had to get to school.

Since I enjoy being at school and learning, I was devastated that I was going to be late. I hurried to gather my belongings and ran down the street. This time I made sure to circumvent the locust tree. Surprisingly, I made it to school on time. The air turned warm and inviting again. The aroma changed back to the fresh, first day of school smell I love.

This experience taught me that there is not one person who is flawless or indestructible. It also taught me that no matter how confident someone is there is always a chance of failing. The day this experience happened to me I could not understand why it had to be me because I was dressed cute and excited for my second grade year. To this day I will never be overly confident because I know I am bound to be broken down by something whether it be a bird pooping on my head or failing a test. At least I can say it was a sticky situation that I’ll never forget!

(this was for my english class. note the non-amiee like speaking)