My mom was always a good driver. She never got a speeding ticket. One day while driving, she was so attracted by singing along to the radio that she didn't notice how close she was getting to a mailbox. Then with a bang, she hit someone's mailbox.

After realizing what she had done, she quickly exited the car to see the damage. The whole side mirror was off, and the mailbox was destroyed. My mom didn't know whose mail-box it was, but knew she must tell the owner. She walked up to the door, with her heart beating fast. She debated over and over whether she should ring that doorbell or just go to work and pretend that this had never happened.

Just then, an old lady opened the door, glancing at the tears down from my mom's face and at the destroyed mailbox. she understood exactly what had happened. So when my mom was trying to explain, the lady interrupted her and asked her if she would like to come in. My mom, unable to put any words together, simply nodded her head.

The lady told her not to worry about the mailbox, because it was an accident. My mom had been babysitting all summer long. so she offered to repay the lady. The lady refused, saying my mother would need that money for replacing the car's mirror. The lady also said that < she had been looking for an excuse to get rid of that mailbox, which, my mom knew, was really a kind excuse.The lady then brought out the best chocolate chip cookies and tea that my mom has ever had. My mom was grateful for the old lady's kindness. She helped my mom save money, for my mom had to give lots of her savings in order to fix her car.

When my mom told me this story, I couldn't believe it. My perfect mom hit a mailbox. She always yells at my sister for driving recklessly (鲁莽的)，but my sister has never hit a mailbox. I love this story, because it makes me know that we should be careful when driving.

I was cutting up lettuce in the kitchen when I suddenly remembered watching a video about soaking the lettuce stub(残余部分)in water to grow a whole new vegetable. So I took out a wide-mouthed mug and placed the stub into it, gave it a little water, and placed it by the window.

On a snowy morning, I noticed the first sign. A first small leaf from its heart spread out. A tiny green flag of hope. Beaten, but not defeated. This lettuce was not done living! Within days, it was impossible to see the cuts where I had removed the leaves. The growth was explosive. And when I lifted the blossoming head out of the mug(大杯)，tiny root threads fell down, seeking for the earth. What is growing here? Lettuce or hope?

If I were a lettuce in a similar condition, I’d want to skeptically assess where I found myself before committing to full growth. Yet for this lettuce, my inadequate offering of water and a place by a window was enough for it to decide to reclaim itself again. It grew in a mug of water, in faith. This is the heart of this lettuce: alive, strong and fearless. It deserved a name. I decided to call it Monty.

Monty wanted to grow, as we all do. I think I gave him a little love and freedom. Those two ingredients were all he needed to return to himself. I see joy in this lettuce. The return to self is always an expression of joy, which is life itself. With the right ingredients, this is the tendency of all living things.

Monty still lives in a mug, but I’m going to transplant him outside. He deserves to become his full self. The only problem I see now is my capacity to support Monty. I hope I have enough of a green finger.

I’m surprised to find myself where I am. Maybe Monty is, too. I have the same choice as he does: give in and decay(腐败),or start again. The prospect of starting again is discouraging. But my lettuce-friend, Monty, leads the way. I can only hope to be as brave.

In 2018, the state of California was on fire. Alexandria Villasenor, who was 13 at the time, witnessed the destruction of Northern California’s Camp Fire, which would go on to burn more than 150,000 acres of land. Villasenor was scared. “That’s when I found out how important climate education was,” she reflected. “And just how much we lacked climate education these past couple of years.”

Villasenor, now 15, is determined to have a bigger conversation. She quickly realized the fight requires international, government-level changes. For her, what started as local concern turned into a year-long protest in front of the United Nations’ New York City headquarters and a global campaign for more compulsory climate education. She sat on a bench in front of the headquarters, pleading for the world's leaders to take climate change seriously.

Her action received national attention, with millions of other students around the world joining in the movement. “It's completely unacceptable to not learn anything about our planet and our environment in school, after all the young people would “inherit” the Earth.” Villasenor said, “That’s why I think that climate education is so important, and that's why I focus a lot on it now.”

Right now, Villasenor is working with the Biden-Harris administration on its climate plan, which has promised to center the needs of young people and communities most impacted by climate change. She even spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. “That was definitely a huge moment when I realized that people were listening to the voices of me and youth climate activists,” Villasenor said.

When she isn't connecting with her fellow youth activists or holding elected officials accountable to the climate concerns of their young voters, Villasenor is like most other teens. “My favorite thing to do, of course, is sleep.” she said. “I like to read a lot. I like fantasy books, normally. I also like to write.”