Mr. Smith is on a trip in England. This is his first time to go to England. One morning he wants to go to Sunny hotel, but he doesn’t know how to go there when he drives to a bus stop. He doesn’t take a map, either, so he doesn’t know where to go. At this time, he sees a boy in blue. He stops his car and walks up to the boy.

“Excuse me, do you know Sunny Hotel, boy?”

“Oh, yes, and I can take you there,” the boy says.

Then the boy gets in Mr. Smith’s car. Mr. Smith drives about 3 kilometers, and they come to a small house.

“Stop here!” the boy says.

Mr. Smith stops his car before the house and looks at it.

“Oh, where are we now? This is not Sunny Hotel,” Mr. Smith asks.

“Sir, this is my house. And I’ll show you how to get here. Go back 2 kilometers, and then you can see Sunny Hotel on your left!”

When I was a kid, my dad often worked outside in the winter, removing snow, or perhaps chopping some wood. With his coat thrown aside, he was just wearing a shirt, a cap, and a pair of gloves.

It could be -20°C, “Aren't you cold, Dad?” I'd wondered, “No.” Dad would reply, “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.” Many times I wondered whether my father was extremely tough or a little bit foolish.

One time when I was about five or so, I went ice fishing with Dad. It was a bright, clear day—and bitterly cold.

After we'd been out on the ice for a little while, my feet started getting cold.“Daddy, my feet are cold.” I said.

“Yeah, it's cold out here today.” He replied, “Tell you what, just walk around in the snow!”

I was just a little girl at the time but I remember thinking, “How in the world will walking around in the snow make my feet warm? Dad must be out of mind.”

But there's no better way. So I had to make circles in the snow. Then I made squares. Pretty soon I found it so much fun to make patterns in the snow. Gradually, I did feel warm. I know it because I do it, too.

Now, I know from my personal experience how my dad was able to take his coat off and work outside in the winter. I know it because I do, too.

“Aren't you cold?” my husband asked one winter day.“No.” I replied, “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.” I hope that my husband will consider me both tough and smart. But I guess quite a bit of the time he thinks I'm foolish.

If Dad could know that, I'm sure he will smile when I take my coat off while I'm working outside in the winter.

No one can resist(抵抗)the force of nature, but don't hold back because human will and wisdom are stronger.

Susan Boyle was born as the ninth child in a Catholic family. She suffered from learning disabilities ever since her birth because of her mother’s poor health.

School was difficult for Susan and she was bulled(凌辱) because of her different behaviour. Her siblings, who were much older, had life experiences that were unknown to their little sister. From the time of her birth, Susan was a screamer. The only really safe place that she would use as a repeat was her bedroom. There she would hang posters of her musical heroes on the walls and sing popular music into a hairbrush that she pretended was a microphone.

One by one her brothers and sisters moved away from home and then Susan’s father died. This left her alone with an old mother and a cat. She tried volunteer work. Her best state of mind, however, was found when she was singing and so she would regularly join others in karaoke or pubs where she could show her skills and receive appreciation(欣赏)from the crowd.

When Susan announced at Christmas that she was planning to take part in the Britain’s Got Talent competition, her brothers and sisters tried to discourage her. It was a wonder that she was even able to do the audition(试唱) considering the troubles she faced just physically getting to the right place.

The Woman I Was Born to Be is a beautiful story written in the simple but humorous voice of the author, Susan Boyle. She tells her story from birth to the present in an interesting and educational manner.

I love this book ! In fact, I read the whole thing in one day! There is something in the stories that not only teaches the reader but also encourage us to reach for our dreams—no matter how impossible they may seem to be!