No Remorse | Teen Ink

No Remorse

January 4, 2013
By IgorR SILVER, Inverness, Illinois
IgorR SILVER, Inverness, Illinois
6 articles 1 photo 3 comments

Thinking twice before acting can be wise, but can also make us lose unique opportunities. Because of that, I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't, and that makes me a person who moves.

One of the biggest moves I’ve made so far was studying abroad. Spending one year in a foreign country, speaking a new language, living with an unknown family, being away from family and friends, and yet having no direct reward from that can be seen by many as a crazy and scary experience. But for me it looks completely reasonable, and it’s been the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m learning a lot about the American culture, seeing places I would never see, making a lot of new friends from all over the world, and becoming part of a lovable family. Even though some say doing an exchange is a loss of time, I can already feel how important it is. For example, my main objective coming here was to improve my English, and it’s happening every day. This “loss of time” will be overwhelmed by my personal growth in the end of this year. And the fact that I will be late, finishing school at the age of 19, doesn’t bother me. Actually, this year is exactly the opposite of “lost.” It’s my last chance to have a time off to rest and think about my future, while all my friends are already worried about going to college and entering the adult life. This exchange is an “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, and nothing will make me regret it.

But being one who moves is not only about facing big challenges. It’s also about adopting an everyday behavior that makes my relationships better. Like doing house chores without being asked, helping a friend with a lesson at school, or even just saying a sincere “hi, how are you?” instead of an meaningless “what’s up?”

Those moves I described are important to myself and to people I know, but I still have to improve in making bigger moves that will help more people, like doing a volunteer work. This way I will feel that my actions are making a meaningful difference in the world around me. But since every endeavor to do good counts, I’m in the right path to keep being a person who moves.


The author's comments:
This essay is a response to Benjamin Franklin's quote: "All mankind is divided into three groups: those that are immovable, those that are movable and those that move."
I put myself in one of those groups and explained why I feel this way.

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