What separates me from everyone else? The difference is not what clothes I wear or the music I listen to, but what I feel inside.

Ever since I was young, I have loved professional wrestling. I woke up every Saturday to watch my favorite “super stars.” As I grew older, I got a lot of criticism for watching this “fake” sport. My peers would laugh at me for following what was called a “man’s soap opera.” So, I put my love for wrestling on the shelf. Like everyone else, I wanted to be associated with the cool group. I desired to be invited to the parties of the in-crowd（圈内人）and hang out with the popular kids. I became pretty successful. Although my Friday evenings were busy with parties，I would still wake up early Saturdays to watch wrestling. It wasn’t until my freshman year that I realized I wasn’t being myself.

That year, I tried many new things and activities and made new friends. In my town, football was the sport, so I decided to play football，thinking it might give me a head start in popularity. The team started with 48 athletes. In the end，there were 14 of us left. I stuck it out not because I liked it, but because I am not a quitter. That long season taught me a lesson: I wasn’t a football player. More importantly, it taught me to be myself.

After that season, I went back to being a wrestling fan. I watched it regularly, no matter what insults were thrown my way. I came across a quote: “Don’t Dream It. Be It.” When I read this，my friend Dan had the same idea I had.

“What if we build a wrestling ring（拳击场）？” we asked. We acquired the necessary wood and equipment for its construction. The following weekend, we met at his house. We saw our dream in a pile in his backyard. We worked from dawn to dusk to build our greet establishment. By Sunday night, our mission was complete. Our hard work combined with a little creativity had paid off. We had a real ring.

We decided to hold an “event.”

We are now well-known throughout school.

Many years earlier, my mother knew that she could not send me to college and pay for it. She worked in a retail store and made just enough to pay the bills and take care of the other children at home. If I wanted to go to college, it was up to me to find out how to get there.

I found that I qualified for some grants because of the size of our family, my mom’s income and my SAT scores. There was enough to cover school and books, but not enough for room and board. I accepted a job as part of a work－study program, washing dishes in the school cafeteria.

Just when I thought I was going to drop out of my college career, an angel appeared. Well, one of those that are on earth, without wings.“I heard that you need some help，I mean Financially, to stay in school.”He continued ,“Well, I think I have a way to help you out.” His sincerity was informed from both his words and his kind and genuine look.

He went on to explain that his grandparents needed help on the weekends. All that was required of me was cooking meals and helping them get in and out of bed in the morning and evening. The job paid four hundred dollars a month, twice the money I was making washing dishes. Now I would have time to study. I went to meet his grandparents and accepted the job.

My first discovery was his grandmother’s great love of music. She spent hours playing her old, off－key piano. One day, she told me I didn’t have enough fun in my life and took it upon herself to teach me the art. Grandma was impressed with my ability and encouraged me to continue. Weekends in their house became more than just books and cooking, they were filled with the wonderful sounds of the out－of－tune piano and two very out－of－tune singers.

On November 27th, 2021, I was waiting to check out at a local store. The store is always busy because it is on the main street of our small town. Though I have moved to a house that is a little far from the store, I still come back to this spot for shopping, because everyone knows my face if not my name.

The clerk was very busy because it was Thanksgiving Day. Besides usual snacks and daily necessities, people were buying kinds of food and bunches of flowers. It was about 5 p. m. and still light outside, but people seemed to be hurrying back to their cars. As it was the rush hour, with people anxious to get home from work, few of the people in line responded to the clerk’s greetings. Even fewer people wished the clerk a nice evening.

Surprisingly, one elderly woman who was paying for ice cream and some snacks smiled at the clerk who was taking what seemed to be the woman’s last 20 dollars and 21 cents. The elderly customer nodded in the direction of the flowers and said to the clerk, “I hope someone will bring you a bunch of these flowers tonight.” The clerk smiled, saying a bit regretfully, “That would be nice, but I don’t think it’s likely to happen. My husband and I both have to work till midnight today.”

Hearing that, the customer seemed to be lost in thought. She accepted her plastic bag, thanked the clerk and then headed towards her old and damaged car outside the store. Hearing the dialogue between the woman and clerk, several of us women in line began to talk about when the last time we had gotten flowers was, and finally we all agreed it had been a long time.

Several minutes later, the elderly customer came back with a few coins in her hand.

The clerk looked at the elderly customer in surprise.