I woke up to my brother calling, “Leo, wake up!”
“Why?” I asked him, sleepily. “Yesterday was my last day of first grade! School is over already so I’m not getting up. Hmph!” “We’re doing a family activity today, Leo!” “What activity would you like?” my mom asked. Although I liked talking to my parents, I didn’t like it when they repeatedly asked me questions. What was my favorite thing to do that we could do as a family? I thought hard. “I know!” I said. “We could play tennis! I heard that there is a type of tennis that takes four people to play.” “Doubles?” my brother asked. “Yes! That’s it!” I exclaimed. “I love it!” my brother said. “All right, I guess we’re playing doubles today then,” my dad said to my mom. Tennis is my favorite sport, because it’s action-packed. I also love tennis because just like most other things, you need to practice a lot to get good at it. Doubles is all about cooperation. There are two teams of two, and each pair has to work together and figure out who should return each incoming ball. I teamed up with my brother, since I was only six, and he was only nine. We played against our parents, in a casual manner. My brother would encourage me and pump me up after we won the point. “Great job!” my brother said to me as we high fived. My parents would support us as well. Another reason I love tennis is that it requires a lot of thinking. One time, we had a really long rally. This is where our strategy came in. Since my brother was taller, he went up to the net and hit the balls out of the air. If he couldn’t reach it, I would run over and hit it. This is how I learned how important teamwork is. Soon after, my brother hit a short ball and neither of my parents could get it. They laughed it off, and we went to the bench to rest. “Good job!” they complimented. This was my first memory of our family games of doubles. There were many more amazing moments, from that day until now. Over time, my brother and I got stronger and more skilled. When I turned eight, my brother was eleven, and we were beating our mom and dad easily. We had to change up the teams. I teamed up with my dad, and my brother teamed up with my mom. My brother used to get most of the balls when I was teamed up with him, but now that he wasn’t on my team, I had to cover most of the court. It taught me about responsibility because even though I had to cover most of the court, I knew I shouldn’t hit a ball that wasn’t on my side. Doubles is perfect for a family of four, and I encourage everyone to try it because it can help you bond with your parents and siblings. It’s fun, action-packed, and helps you practice teamwork. It doesn’t matter who wins or who loses, because, in the end, it’s still a very fun experience for all four of us.
0 Comments
Most people loathe dreaming. Some people because they fear nightmares, others because they think dreams are nonsensical. I used to have the same opinion. However, just yesterday I experienced a marvelous dream that completely turned my view on dreaming upside-down. It was a surreal, out-of-this-world adventure that I’ll never forget. Surprisingly, you can take control of your own dreams and acquire extraordinary powers!
This dream started like any other, which is to say, it made no sense. I spawned in a dank basement in the middle of pouring rain. I knew this not only because of the water dripping from the leaky floorboards above, but also from the sound of pounding rain above. A single dim lightbulb hung shakily from the fragile ceiling. I quickly escaped from that rickety room by use of a ladder that led up to a trapdoor on the wall. Shoving the trapdoor open, I breathed in the fresh air and began to take in my surroundings. It appeared that I was standing in the ceiling of an urban apartment living room. Above me was a stylish monochrome rug, a comfy cyan sofa, and a large TV, along with various other pieces of furniture. The whole thing looked like it could be on the cover of an Ikea magazine. But the fact that gravity had reversed itself on me was a dead giveaway that I was dreaming. Now that I realized this, things were about to get interesting. I had heard from others that in lucid dreams, you can do anything. So first off, I decided that I would correct my gravity. I thought that, and, in a flash, I was teleported to the floor of the apartment, right in front of the TV. I stood there in stunned silence, shocked that it had worked. Next, I decided that I would give myself the power to fly. Closing my eyes and concentrating hard, I felt my feet lift off the floor, just a little, but it was a success! I zoomed around the living room in ecstasy. Soon, I felt like a bird trapped in its cage. I craved to soar in the blue sky! Breaking the glass windows, I flew in circles, gliding occasionally. I thought that I should increase my altitude and, like magic, I shot up another 50 feet or so in the sky. Scanning my surroundings, I saw a distant airplane and a flock of seagulls. Deciding that I should join the birds for a little evening glide, I accelerated towards them telekinetically. They were accepting of me, albeit a little surprised, when I joined their flock. The sensation and rush from flying was so real I could hardly believe it. I felt the refreshing wind on my skin, the exhilaration of speed. It’s unfair that birds can do this every day! In that instant, I lost my focus and quickly started plummeting to the ground. It was only then that I realized how high I was in the sky. The people and buildings below looked like they were from a miniature toy set. In another instant, the vertigo from the fall started to set in. As the skyscrapers and buildings from the urban landscape below zoomed up to meet me, I knew I did not have much time left to save myself. Frantically, I tried to regain control. But to no avail. The instant I hit the hard pavement, I woke up in cold sweat. Granted, that last moment of shock and horror was not very enjoyable, but it was worth it for the thrill of flying. It made me feel free as a bird. Even though it was only a dream, it’s still a valuable memory that will stay with me for years to come. Now I think of dreaming as an opportunity to obtain a superpower. I simply can’t wait for my next adventure!
Wayne Shi is a 6th grader at Ridgecrest Elementary.
The recent spread of coronavirus has affected my view of my family by basically forcing me to stay in one place with them all the time and letting me see sides of them that I might have not seen before. I can see what they usually do when I am not around, and how they will feel and act if I am with them more.
"This sketch was inspired by the "working from home" situation currently happening. Because of this I was able to experience what being home schooled feels like. I learnt most of my subjects by myself using online resources. With my dad to tutor me if I needed. My mom was busy teaching students online upstairs. With all of us at home at the same time, the house seemed a bit livelier than it was before." |
Archives
December 2022
Categories
All
|