I remember gun shots, I remember explosions, I remember the river of tears streaming from my eyes as I saw my parents hit by a bomb. I ran as fast as I could, longing for safety, but something hit me in my leg. I fell down hard, searching for something or someone. I was 5 and I lost everything that mattered to me. I felt broken in both body and soul. 577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWlm0nAy6L
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I was sent somewhere far away from what was my home. I was taken to an orphanage and after a few months, a couple picked me, I was very grateful considering how long others stayed. I went to a public school and when it was my first day, a lot of people avoided me. 577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeN4T63bvKp
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I left school feeling alone as ever and I tried to tell my parents, well the people who take care of me. I tried to explain to them how I was feeling but they just accused me of complaining. There was nobody there for me and I longed for someone to be my support. 577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuQtYukJnt
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After weeks of nothingness, a boy called Felix came and talked to me. He asked me if I wanted to play. I looked down to my right leg in a leg brace and was hesitant but I thought, what’s the worst that can happen. He showed me to his group of friends and when they saw me, they burst out in laughter. One of them called me a cripple, another called me a weirdo, how did I let myself think someone would be different. 577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpb4ieDqLG1
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Felix left them and he sat next to me. I looked at him holding back tears, “You knew that was going to happen didn’t you? People judge me before they can know who I really am. What’s the point of making any effort when you know you’re going to end up being rejected?” Felix replied, “There’s no point in being scared of other people’s opinions, just because your leg has a brace, doesn’t mean you’re different from anybody. If someone has something against you just because you’re a bit different, it’s their problem.” 577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREf5yidbD5
I made a new friend that day, a friend I kept for life and following his advice, I made friends with people, I learnt to be brave and I learnt to ignore comments. 577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUwZfdVRin
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The boy who called me cripple, apparently he’s Steve, thinks he’s so good at everything, someone should teach him a lesson. His ego challenged me to a race, probably wanted to humiliate me. I didn’t back down and soon the race commenced. I limped at the start but my speed increased the further I went and my brace felt like it was going to break. I heard noises, it broke. My legs felt free but unsupported, I didn’t care though, I just kept running. I didn’t want to care anymore about what people thought, I was going to be like a cheetah, I was going to run fast, going to run hard. I beat Steve and I grinned. My leg was sore but I proved that his assumptions about me were wrong. I was not a cripple, I was not handicapped, I could do anything and everything.577Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtIESzxRVD
My friends were already there waiting and they said, "What took you so long?" I replied, "My journey was not an easy one, I had many obstacles to overcome, but during my journey I learnt many things about myself. I learnt that I have great strength inside to carry on, and that I have courage. I learnt to trust that small voice inside me, my abilities and myself. I learnt that sometimes a journey can be easy and sometimes very painful. I learnt that even though the hole is deep I can climb back up the other side. The biggest thing I learnt was not to give up but to keep going forward to reach my goal."
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