My Inspiration

         I remember last year, there was this kid at my school. And he was pretty well known. Everybody knew him. And, one night, in the middle of a basketball game, he died. I wasn't there at the game, so I didn't see what happened or hear about it till the next day at school. But, when I was sitting in chapel the next morning, and I saw everyone's faces, I realized how many people he'd touched. I saw the sea of teared faces and listened to the quiet sobs as we mourned, as a school, for Aaron's death.

         Throughout the day, I could only watch as most of the people at school wept and hugged each other. I could only sit by and stare into those reddened eyes, try as I might, to comfort them. And it was then I first saw how many people had been touched by him.

         It wasn't until a few days later when my true realization hit me. I was watching TV, or doing something equally mindless, when something brought me back to Aaron. I had never met him; I had no real memories of his voice, or his face. And I realized, that I had missed a chance to meet, and to know a fellow human being. I felt tears roll down my face, and I knew that I could never know him. That I had wasted some time and had missed knowing someone, and now that chance was gone. Then, I remembered all the people he had touched. I remembered all the kids who were his friends, and all the people who had been left empty from his presence, and I envied them. I wanted to miss him like they did. I wanted to have some memory or piece of him that I could hold onto, but I didn't have anything, and that left me emptier than any other loss has ever left me.

         Since then, I have never let a day go by when I haven't tried to talk to someone. Even if it's just a hello on the street, that's a start. I want to get to know the world. Hello, I'm D. A. Nice to meet you.