BBB Education Foundation
LAWS OF LIFE
®
Regional Essay Contest San Antonio 2013-2014
TWO DOORS
H Zachery Powell
San Antonio Academy, Grade 6
C
ome on, Zach! You can do it!” my morn exclaimed. I faced a difficult decision; whether to go to the top of a rock wall
that I was scaling or to give in and go back down. I could easily let my shaking hands fall to my sides; the harness
would catch me. Hooked at the carabiners above and imagined the instant relief I might feel. I could easily release
the cold, hard rocks that were crushing my body and spirit, and rappel down. No one would be disappointed seeing that I had
already gone a long way up. No one but me. Choosing door number one meant that I could go up. The journey wouldn’t be easy,
but I would feel like I had accomplished something. it might cost me more than I was willing to pay. I also had a second door.
Behind it, I could let go. It would be easier on my body, but I would not get to scale the wall, which was the reason I was there.
That wasn’t a price I wanted to pay either. I had no idea what to do. As my body wanted to quit, my mind wanted to keep on.
Incredibly fatigued, my legs wobbled like noodles, my hands were covered with scrapes, and my shoulders slumped down, as
the energy left my body. Somehow I found the inner stamina to push on. I put my mind to it, and inches at a time, I began to
scale the wall. It took a amazing amount of effort, but I never doubted myself. Looking down at my smiling family, I made my
decision. Now, there was only a single door. I would open it, and there would be no turning back. Exhausted, elated, and dazed,
I got to the top. I rang the bell and suddenly felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I let go to rappel down onto the soft
soil below, standing again on wobbly and exhausted legs. A good decision.
With bells ringing, and teachers, smart and clever, sharing their knowledge, school is a difficult and tedious experience. It tests
one’s responsibility, perseverance, and brain power. I once faced the temptation to take the afternoon off from school. There
had been a play that day in Spanish. My mother had come and was willing to take me home and let me skip my afternoon
classes. I knew the decision was completely up to me. I again had two doors from which to choose. Behind door number one,
I could act responsibly and keep climbing. It would be a tough day. I also knew no one would be mad if I let go and relaxed. It
would be the much easier option. I chose to stay. I completed a worksheet, long and demanding, later that day. Everyone who
stayed received bonus points because we didn’t take the easy way out. Another good decision.
When I came into the sixth grade, I had a tough decision: to play football or sit out the season. I realized that it would be the
easy choice not to play but to hang around at my house instead, or I could get up, stand up, and do something! I knew deep
down it would be much work to compete. Again, I had a door number one and a door number two, but I had already learned
how to pick the correct doors of life. Behind door number one, I imagined myself on the couch, at home and at rest, playing
football by pushing buttons and staring at the graphics on a TV screen. Behind door number two, I imagined myself on the
field, sweating, aching, and in pain, but feeling like a winner. I thought about this decision long and hard. After evaluating my
options, I decided to pick door two and sign up. By the end of the season, I felt as if I were soaring through the sky like an eagle.
I had that I-can’t-believe-I-did-it feeling. I was David defeating Goliath in the war with the Philistines. I was at the top of that
wall, ringing the bell once again, making good decisions.
In every aspect of life, whether it is climbing a wall, playing football or attending a day of school, it is always important never
to take a shortcut. A shortcut might seem like the better choice at the time, but in the long run of life, the hard way proves
to be the most rewarding. Scale the wall. Join the team. Stick it out. When the goal looks miles away, anyone who prevails
will feel satisfied and proud in the end. Picking the correct door in a time of hardship and pressure is a painful process, but
choosing the right door and following through with a plan means someone has done something worthwhile. When making a
decision, small or large, people need to remember that that choice could dramatically affect their lives. Nothing anyone has ever
accomplished and felt good about lacked effort. The great speaker, Flora Whittemore, whose words have inspired many people,
once explained, “The doors that we open and close each day decide the lives we live in.” Making a hard choice is never going to
be an easy task. Some decisions look small, but they evolve into a pattern of either triumph or failure. Will it be door number
one or door number two?
FINALIST