Language and Literacy Essay 

            Surrender yourself! Don’t think about trying. Forget all possibilities. Forget about dance. Forget about fencing. Forget about all the things that made you… you. Fate is fate. Now you must fall into a state of despair. The doctor tells me I might not be able to walk again. I begin to picture a little girl chained up in the darkness, abandoned, screaming in agony. The voice in my head engraving the words I can’t, I can’t, deep into my heart. Happiness is snatched away in a matter of seconds. All hope is gone.

Looking back, I was always a great dancer, but I lacked one aspect: flexibility. I was a shadow lingering in the back of the class, but ultimately, I knew I was born to be in the spotlight, and nothing would stop me. Stretching became an addiction. I stretched while watching television or sitting on my couch. Determined, I slowly went deeper and deeper. When I finally attempted my splits, I felt a pop in my leg. It looked normal, but the pain was excruciating. Nothing could compare. A tingling feeling arose, a completely different phenomenon. I felt a barrier between my leg and the hardwood floor. Something was wrong. I couldn’t stand or walk. In this desperate moment, I screamed as loud as I could, praying someone would hear my cry for help. My voice echoed in the background. I felt weak, hopeless, and vulnerable.

Growing up, I was an independent individual. My mother always tried to help me, and I always told her I could do it myself. However, this was a new problem, one I could not solve alone. I heard my mother’s outcry as she ran out of her room. Lost on what happened to me, she assessed my symptoms. We waited out the rest of the night to see if the numbness would flutter away, but it persisted. Finally, I found myself in the Emergency Room. When the X-ray results returned unremarkable, an Ultrasound was the only option. Everything became clear. My peroneal nerve—the nerve that provides sensation and movement in my leg, foot, and toes were damaged. The doctor’s only recommendation was physical therapy involving strength exercises and electrical nerve stimulation treatments, but it was not guaranteed. The little hope I had shattered into millions of pieces.

Every day I endured the same cycle of home and therapy. The exciting life I once had, became a distant reality. I began to accept defeat. At home, I found myself always staring outside the window, watching the children roam free and play. Oh, how I wished I was one of them. My older brother would often see me looking miserable by the window and just walk away so I could mope in peace. But one day, he finally approached me and said, “Instead of watching the kids outside having fun and being sad all the time, maybe you should start reading; it helps me when I’m sad.” I was baffled by the words that exited my brother’s mouth. I vividly remember saying, “Me read! You must be joking. Just leave me alone.” My brother walked away, but looking into his eyes, I knew he would not give up on me. He would place a manga book next to me every day after that, but I would just ignore it. One manga book became two. Two became four, and four became ten. He continued to bring more books, and I eventually gave in. “Naruto, Vol. 1: Uzumaki Naruto”, I read. Once I turned the page, there was no going back. The Nine-Tailed Fox is locked inside the rambunctious young ninja Naruto Uzumaki, who is shunned as a result. Despite all his challenges, he strives for acceptance and harbors ambitions to become the Hokage, the most powerful ninja in the village and its leader. He makes a lot of effort to get stronger. Reading to me became a drug I needed for my survival. It was as if I was teleported into a whole new dimension. I was engaged and connected with the character. It was as if I was living his story. My brother saw how engaged I was, so  he continued more manga series. Next to come was One Piece. The adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a young man whose accidental consumption of the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit left his body with rubber-like qualities. To become the next Pirate King, Luffy explores the Grand Line with his crew of pirates, the Straw Hat Pirates, in search of the world’s greatest treasure, known as “One Piece.” 

 After reading the life of Naruto and Luffy, I notice a constant theme. None of the protagonists would back down from a challenge, regardless of how formidable the opponent or hazardous the circumstances may appear. The struggles they have gone through and the relationships they have formed have only served to fortify their resolve and give them the will to fight another day. Naruto, a boy, rejected by his village, ended up saving the entire shinobi world. Everyone gave up on him since he was cursed, yet he persevered and rose to the position of Hokage. Luffy is a boy who defeated three of the seven warlords of the sea: Crocodile, Gecko Moria, and Doflamingo. These warlords are said to be so strong that the world government had to recruit them to regulate the seas. When one of his crewmates, Nico Robin, was captured by the world government, he stormed into Enies Lobby a government-controlled stronghold in Paradise and declared war on the world. Everyone said he would die whenever he went against a powerful warlord or the world government, and he came out on top. Reading about the adventures of Naruto and Luffy and seeing their constant determination despite every difficult encounter gave me hope.

After my moments of sadness, I wiped my tears and got to work. I started doing physical therapy seven days a week: three days with my therapist and four days with my mom. My mom, Naruto, and Luffy were my support and motivated me every step of the way. Week after week, the same process of exercising, strengthening, icing, and stimulating. Eventually, I felt something: a sensation in my toe. I started walking on the treadmill, slowly and weirdly, but it was something. The little girl finally broke free of her chains, cheering me on as I ran for one minute, five minutes, then ten. At last, I could see the sunlight glistening. I was able to grasp my future back. With inspiration from Naruto and Luffy, I made it out of the darkness. I felt everything, a wonderful sensation.

In the end, the simple act of reading encouraged me to do the impossible. It drove me to surpass my limits. I learned how to be dynamic and courageous and never afraid to ask for help. I was stubborn and asking for help was one of the most difficult challenges. Asking for help does not make you weak— it reveals your strength, even when you do not feel strong. Life is never easy. Even when you are going through hell, you must rise and fight your battles. My mother always said, “The word can’t is not in my dictionary.” Naruto said, “Stopping complaining about FATE and saying how it can’t be CHANGED! If you don’t like your destiny, don’t accept it; fight for a new one.” Luffy said, “No matter how hard or impossible, never lose sight of your goal.” Now, look at me. I dance, play basketball, fence, no longer controlled by the voice of despair. I silenced it. I overcame it, because I can’t is not in my dictionary, and it will never be there.