Resilience | Teen Ink

Resilience

May 20, 2015
By pprudhon GOLD, San Jose, California
pprudhon GOLD, San Jose, California
10 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
-JK Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)


There are so many ways to die in this world that it’s honestly a miracle most of us get home every night.  All it takes is one fall, one chemical we weren’t supposed to drink or breathe, one parasite in the right organ, or even one animal who realized it was hungry right as you walked by and that’s it.  Your life, your very existence has ceased.  You are no longer here.


It’s very strange to think about, but just by being, you’re tempting fate.
While this may seem like a dismal fact, it is actually a testament to the durability of the human race.


On one hand, if we drop from just a little too high, we’ll die, but on the other hand, people stumble over things all the time and shake it off like it’s nothing.  Although too much of a certain chemical can kill us, large doses on a regular basis of others don’t affect us at all.  Many people even survive ingesting poisons either by luck or the skill of doctors.  Some parasites destroy us from the inside out, but others are crushed by our own bodies or defeated with the help of science.  While some animal attacks are fatal, countless stories remain of people who have fought off a mountain lion or scared it before it could attack. 


Not everybody is that lucky, and each and every one of us will fall victim to something someday, because the burden given to us at birth is that we are all fated to die.  Tragic as it may seem, it’s just the way it is and always has been.


However, every single person in this world cheats death from the moment they open their eyes in the morning because our entire planet is configured to be dangerous and deadly, and yet most of us manage to live and even thrive here despite the obstacles.


Although we’re fragile, we’re also resilient, and that’s what’s special about us.  We’re porcelain reinforced with steel, delicate, sturdy, and beautiful all at once.



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This article has 5 comments.


pprudhon GOLD said...
on Jul. 3 2015 at 12:13 am
pprudhon GOLD, San Jose, California
10 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
-JK Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Thank you so much for your feedback! Punctuation is a constant struggle for me (and my friends who read my work are always complaining about it). I left a comment on your short story. You have a lot of potential and I can't wait to see what you else you write :)

on Jun. 28 2015 at 7:15 pm
alaina_h BRONZE, Wilmington, Delaware
4 articles 3 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. -Audrey Hepburn

I came across this on your forum, and I'm really impressed! I think that this I a very interesting concept, and I understood the point you were trying to make. However, I would watch your punctuation. Have someone read this out loud to you...for me, that makes it easier to detect the small flaws in my technicalities. Overall, great job! I would love it if you cold take a look at my short story and share your thoughts! TeenInk.com/fiction/realistic_fiction/article/809491/A-Lost-Love/

on Jun. 15 2015 at 12:42 am
abbylane SILVER, Houston, Texas
5 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go."
Theodore Roethke, "The Waking"

Hello! I really liked this article, and I love the idea behind it! However, I feel like you could have expanded on your point or idea a little more, especially in the conclusion. If the article would have ended on a powerful statement or paragraph that really expanded on the idea of resilience, it would have given the piece a lot of depth! Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I think your writing flowed really well!

pprudhon GOLD said...
on Jun. 13 2015 at 10:34 pm
pprudhon GOLD, San Jose, California
10 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
-JK Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Thank you so much for your feedback. Looking back, this really isn't my best piece, and you're right I should have read this over a few more times. Thanks again and I will definitely keep this in mind when writing in the future :)

Beila BRONZE said...
on Jun. 12 2015 at 2:01 am
Beila BRONZE, Palo Alto, California
3 articles 0 photos 516 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." -Mark Twain

I really love the idea behind this article. However, I think you could have tightened up the writing to make the essay itsef more powerful. Be concise, and avoid vague phrases that take two reads for the reader to understand exactly what you're saying. For example: "large doses on a regular basis of others don’t affect us at all." Also, choose a formal or informal style and stick to it. I feel like your voice wavered during this piece. That said, you do have a gift with words that shows through in a few places. That last paragraph is golden, and I love the metaphor. Keep writing, and good luck!