Personal Narative Essay, Research Paper

My Experience That Changed Me

I went to camp for the first time last summer to get away from the pressures of home and school. Camp was a month long, I have never been away from my parents more than a week. I was very anxious. I had no idea what situations to expect and how I would handle them.

I started to really wonder about my life. The way it was going was not the best for me. I can ?run away? from my reality, but I know that I was going to have to come back to it in a month. The way I treat people was total opposite from how I treated my parents. What my friends were capable of doing was not a bit close to what my parents would let me do, my parents are very narrow minded. My grandparents were even more severe, my culture is different from my friends and it?s hard for me to understand and accept it. What my parents expect from me is much higher then what other parents require from kids my age. I have more responsibilities at home and of course I have school responsibilities to go along with it as well. Since my parents didn?t let me do the things I insisted to do, I became quite rebellious. I would answer back to them, not pay attention and not do the things they wanted me to. I needed a new ways of handling things at home, I thought nobody or anything can help me. I couldn?t wait to leave.

After one week, camp was not great anymore, all of my bunk mates felt the same way. Everything little thing anyone would do, got to be so aggravating. We really started having problems from the first day of camp. A girl in my bunk named Jenna did not get to be in the bunk she wanted to be in. She decided to handle the situation by giving everyone a hard time as well as a bad attitude. The way she talked to the counselor, reminded me how I treated my parents. My counselor Jody never did anything to Jenna. The first day of camp she told the counselor ?If you don?t change me from this bunk I’ll hate you?

Jody just said ?For saying that to me I won?t change you from the bunk you want?

?It doesn?t matter what you say to me because no matter what I will get what I want. You don?t know what I can do!? said Jenna back to her. She ran to her friend?s bunk, Jody didn?t want to make it a big complication out of it so she didn?t worry about it. She never got her bunk changed, but it didn?t matter because she would always sleep over her friends? bunk. I wanted to relax this summer and was not going to let someone give me a hard time, so we never talked much.

Two weeks were nearly over and our parents were going to come visit us in a day or two. I started to be nice to Jenna and she was nice to me, but I sensed that she didn?t want to be friends. She had a problem with my friend Lauren. At this time we were all ready to kill each other. I remember an argument that Jenna had with Lauren, they were yelling at each other and it only got worse by the second. I came up to them and started to hear what they were saying, since I was on lauren?s side, I yelled at Jenna ?What is wrong with you!?

?You can?t yell at me like that, you don?t know who I am!? said Jenna

Then I said ?I don?t care who you are?

?I can make your life miserable” she said. At this point I was thinking to myself that this girl has major problems thinking she can do and say whatever she wants. I started to feel sorry for her.

?I wanna see you try? I then said, slamming the door. Even though we weren?t on everyone good?s side I still cared for her. They were fighting because Lauren told Jenna she was wrong and that she was spreading a rumor. Jenna is one of those people who think everything they do and say is right no matter what. I talked to Jenna later that day and told her I know it was not any of my business but I had to make it mine because she was doing was wrong. This fight was between lauren and Jenna. Jenna was bringing all her friends against lauren, making her feel bad, which is not right. Lauren was about to end the fight, which would have been the right thing to do. She never had anything against me until I spoke to her with an attitude. ?No one ever does that? she said.

?No one ever talks to me like that either? . Then I decided to be the mature one and say I?m sorry. She accepted it and said sorry as well.

I talked to Lauren and told her I had a talk with Jenna. I told her everything we both said. She told me that I was just as immature as Jenna when I said the same thing back to her. I was confused I didn?t get her at first and was offended. I then left the room and wanted to be alone. I started thinking and I realized I was like her. The way she acted and presented her self was the way I was at times. I was very upset, I have to change. Changing was not an easy process that happens from one day to the next. I came to camp with some friends from school, Lauren and Jessie were the ones who helped me realize all these things about myself. I was wondering how my parents must feel when we fight and what they are going through. No one?s life is or near to perfect. I was not the only one with these problems. Their are kids with even worse problems then me and I was glad I am not alone.

Before going to camp fighting with my parents was be something I did regularly. I didn?t like to fight with them. I never thought it was my fault, so I never apologized. Their ways of thinking are very different from mine. Now I?ll listen to them and understand that maybe I could be wrong. I am old enough to make my own decisions and handle my own consequences.

I went through a big change over the summer. My experience at camp helped me realize I have to see things from the perspective of others. Nobody?s life is easy. Dealing with different types of people at camp was not easy. I also learned that their is no reason to get angry over something so little. I?d rather use up my energy for something productive. Camp helped me become a better person.