Some people say that life is boring and you wake up, eat and then continue doing nothing. All. Day. Long. Some people also say that you never get a change of feelings or any exhilaration, but some people are wrong. Some people don’t live their life wanting a change of feelings, therefore they do live a boring life. But everyone’s different and everyone wants to live their life differently. I want to take risks and learn from the ones I take.

“I will be back soon so don’t worry.” I had just turned five and wanted to do everything, even at the highest risks.

“Wait a little longer, Hillary,” My mom looked at my sister, “Lissa makes sure she at least tries to wait.”

“I will try to wait, just hurry, please.” I said with 100% sarcasm. Without delay, I jumped into the water: frolicking in the waves and screaming in joy. I kept my voice down so that my parents didn’t hear me.“Come on Lis! Let’s go!”

“We are supposed to wait, though-”

“And?”

“We have to have supervision.”

“We can supervise ourselves.” Lissa gave me a look of unsurety and checked the stairs to see where everyone was.
“Fine, but it is your fault if they get mad.” I was feeling so confident about swimming in the ocean, my sister trailing behind me, I didn’t even realize the risks. I just thought that because there is no lifeguard, there is no danger, but that was not the definitely not the case. As a five-year-old, you thought you were bulletproof and that nothing could ever stop you. So, you take risks and those risks can be joyful, but sometimes the risks can be catastrophic.

Timed past as my sister and I swam through the waves, breaking overhead. The seaweed you can see uplifted by the wave. The water got pitchy the farther we went past the waves. The water suddenly became a gloomy brown color. The white waves behind us got farther and farther away. I was a passable swimmer, I could go forever, but not very fast. I checked again the waves were double the length away, then they were two seconds ago. My heart rate sped and I realized that I had a company of a giant rip tide.

In fear of being drowned, I yelled, “Lissa? Lissa help!” I couldn’t see over the soon to be breaking waves. I heard the waves breaking behind me as I frantically looked around. When I look back, I realized my sister had abandoned me. I tried my hardest to remember what to do when you get stuck in a rip tide. I learned in school, but I didn’t listen because, I mean, who would? I tried to remember what direction to swim, but I couldn’t hear my own thoughts over my accelerated heart beat. I began pumping my arms and kicking my legs desperate to leave the rip tide behind. I was entering the dark blue water at this point, and soon was out of the rip tide waiting for a natural current to push my worked body back to shore.

Eventually, I got closer and closer to the shore, I could see my parents talking on the phone and my sister trying to find me. I had devious plans running through my head: knock down her sand castle, yell at her, tell on her, punch her, kick her, bite her.  The normal younger sister things. Then I realized that the most devious plan of all would be to say nothing and have her live with it until she confesses.

Some people sit inside playing video games or watching tv. They see no harm or danger and they will never get injured by sitting in one place all day. But what’s the fun of that? In the long run, I would much rather be exposed to danger and learn than stay inside and do nothing, wasting my life. That is exactly why I want to live my life walking thin ice and learning everyday.