The day I learned about proudness was when I signed up for an after school activity. It all began on a mild Thursday. Everything was peaceful and quiet on the street named Easton Turnpike but in a gray house there was a lot of shouting. “You better sign up for an after school activity this year!” my mother screamed. “Mom, I don’t have time for an after school activity this year.” “You said that last year in sixth grade and you promised me that you would sign up for something this year!”

As my mother shouted those words at me I could remember that day. “Luana are you signing up for an after school activity this year?” “No I don’t think so.” “You really should though.” My mom begged “Mom I promise you that next year I will sign up for something.” “Why don’t you want to sign up for something this year?” When my mother asked that question to me I thought to myself “Why not?” I mean lots of people try new things and find out that they love it but I wasn’t going to end the argument just yet. “Mom, it’s been two weeks and I have TONS of homework and I have soccer practice two to three times a week and soccer games on the weekend. I have exactly no time for an after school activity.” “O.k. but next year you are going to sign up for something even if you have TONS and TONS of homework and soccer practices and games.” “O. k, I promise.”

“Mom, please.” “No!” When I looked at her face I could see that she was becoming irritated because her lips were tightening together and when she shouted “No!” I felt a change in her voice, it got a lot louder. Then I backed off the subject and just answered. “Fine, I’ll see what I can do.”

Another week passes by and I finally had enough courage to go up to the bulletin board to sign up for something. As I searched the bulletin board I realized that none interested me, except for cross country. I never thought that I was a fast runner but I knew that I was good at it. As I read the sign up sheet I also realized that cross country started four days ago. I was scared because I could imagine my mother shouting at me after I told her that it was to late for me to sign up for cross country. There must be a way for me to still be able to sign up. As I kept reading I was surprised because my cross country coach was my science teacher, Mr. Sorbello. My plan now was to go up to him after class and ask him if there was a spot for one more runner.

“Hi Mr. Sorbello, you’re the cross country coach right?” I already knew he was the cross country coach but I was double checking. “Yes I am.” “I know cross country started four days ago but do you think that I could possibly still be able to join?” “Yes of course!” he shouted. Then he went behind his desk and came back with a slip of paper that was for me to get one of my parents to sign it. I couldn’t wait until I got home.

When I got home I handed the slip of paper to my mother who was very proud of me. When she finished signing it, she read the rest of the information that was on the piece paper. “Wow! Your first race is on Monday!” “What?!” I started to panic because that meant I only had tomorrow to practice.

The day of the race I had a really hard time concentrating at my classes because I had a lot of butter flies in my stomach. When it came time to line up to the line I couldn’t help myself, I was shivering uncontrollably, I had goose bumps all over my arms and legs, and I felt like I was about to throw up. I remember my mother telling me to keep reminding myself to keep breathing deeply. Then I heard a gun shot and off I went. While I was running I could remember the techniques that Mr. Sorbello had taught me before the race.

It was Friday and Mr. Sorbello was showing everyone on the team examples to use during a race before we went running for todays practice. “In the beginning of the race make sure you sprint, and then go in to your own pace, and when you are near the finish line start sprinting again and try beating the other runners that are in front of you while you’re sprinting to the finish line.” While we were running at practice he would shout to us “relax your shoulders!” and “keep breathing!”

After the race I received a third place medal. I was in shock; I couldn’t believe that I just won a third place medal. When I grabbed my medal I could feel smoothness, bumps, and grooves. I could here parents snapping pictures of their children finishing. I heard other parents shouting at their children to beat the other runners that were in front of them, while they were finishing. I also heard some runners falling to the ground, exhausted from their run. I looked over my shoulder and I saw that my gym teacher, Mr. Francese and Mr. Sorbello looking at me with the biggest smiles on their faces. That’s when I felt something, I felt proudness, and it was the greatest feeling.