What was a turning point in your life?
This evening Coby, the girl I'm mentoring, and I attended a workshop, "Writing a Powerful Personal Essay" at the high school. A compelling, memorable personal essay is needed to apply for colleges and scholarships.
Describe a turning point in your life. A challenge you faced, what you did about it, what you learned, and what you will take forward in life.
The presenter gave ridiculous examples of lead sentences:
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"I almost died on September 11, 2001."
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"As I flew over enemy territory..."
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"The boat capsized, plunging me into the dark ocean."
"Too bad I haven't had cancer," Coby joked. We laughed.
The Big Book of Questions and Answers
Last year Alexandria, the girl I mentored, began her personal essay this way:
"I have always been curious. "When I was around 7 or 8, I was looking through the book section of the Salvation Army Thrift Store and I found The Big Book of Questions and Answers. I immediately fell in love with with this book and read through the whole thing several times. I remember bringing this book to school a few times whenever one of the questions inside applied to what we were learning about in class. I read through that book so many times that the binding fell apart and I had to throw it away. I was devastated to lose that book. A few months ago, I actually purchased another copy of that book because it holds a special place in my heart."
Alexandria ended her personal essay with:
"I am interested in a career in scientific research. I know that my thirst for knowledge will never be truly satiated, but I'll definitely be able to answer many of the question that my Big Book of Questions does not."
Alexandria won 26 scholarships totaling $68,009 and is a freshman at Univ. of Washington.
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12 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I've had several turning points.
One key one was at school in the early summer of 1976. Our Religious Education teacher was on a sabbatical bothering Indo-Pakistani peoples to become evangelical Christians.
So the head of Mathematics stepped in to give us religious education, which was required by English law. During the 35 minutes of RE, there remained only a single Christian in the class... which wasn't me! From that day I have been a devoted non-believer.
Sofabeast
Level 7
Oct 23, 2022
1
Well, I quit drinking 30 years ago. Nothing good resulted, but some bad things stopped happening.
BitFlipper
Level 8
Oct 21, 2022
1
More a process than a point. My father was a monster, but at a very young age I realized it was him, not me. I never internalized his issues.
Mitch07102
Level 8
Oct 19, 2022
1
Anyone who has smoked marijuana or done edibles knows the spacey place you're in. Even before I ever indulged I could be in that place in my head, simply due to the dysfunctional nature of life in NJ. I'd just space out, so buying a plane ticket to Seattle to visit a friend was the biggest turning point in my life. As soon as the plane circled over Puget Sound before landing I knew I was not retuning to NJ. I was 20 years old.
silverotter11
Level 9
Oct 19, 2022
4
I joined the Army after HS. I got outta my dad's house, out of my small town, and never looked back. I went to Germany and Japan, I learned leadership skills, and I found myself. In the circumstances it was the best move to make. Dad was not going to sign paperwork to allow me to go to college, his wife wanted me at home for slave labor. I have NO regrets.
HippieChick58
Level 9
Oct 19, 2022
7
Good for you.
Congratulations! I'm proud of you for asserting yourself.
I feel that life was more of a continuing curve of growth in many ways. But yes, there were several important books, deciding to give up payed work and go into business for myself, getting married, her death, finding a lasting friendship, and going aboard to a country with an entirely different culture for the first time ( Islamic. ), were all important turning points.
Fernapple
Level 9
Oct 19, 2022
3
Checked myself into a rehab and gave up alcohol almost 8 years ago. It was a biggie. Lol
Davekp
Level 8
Oct 19, 2022
6
Bravo! Proud of you.
@LiterateHiker me too. 
Checked myself into a rehab and gave up alcohol almost 8 years ago. It was a biggie. Lol
Davekp
Level 8
Oct 19, 2022
2
Proud of you! Well done.
Giving up drinking, smoking cigarettes, and last but not least, abandoning religion.
CuddyCruiser
Level 8
Oct 19, 2022
6
Congrats!!Same here with the alcohol and smokes. 
Needed a rehab for the booze but almost 8 years later a much happier camper.
Congratulations! Proud of you.
@LiterateHiker And I never spent a single day in rehab. Willpower accomplishes a lot if your willing to use it.
@LiterateHiker, @Davekp Congrads to you as well. For me quitting smokes was the much harder short term thing, meaning that the cravings were more intense but after the first week it just got so much more easier.
I could understand why you required rehab for alcohol. It’s because your always addicted, and many activities in our lives often involved it as well. And it can be challenging for some to be around others who may drink.
It never matters how you quit. It’s no more embarrassing to ask for help for the disease of addiction than it is to ask for a cane to assist you in walking if your physically disabled. Everyone’s different, has various strengths and weaknesses and it’s the end result that matters first and foremost.
@CuddyCruiser cigarettes after 30 years was relatively easy.. My alcohol rehab was a break in my daily cycle. I was ready to stop but I couldn’t manufacture the right environment to do it in.
@Davekp Very true……the company we keep can really help.
Enjoy being online again!
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