BANana's

Friday, February 27, 2004:

Are there reasons why some people succeed and some do not?

Try your hardest.
Allenini // 3:27 AM

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Sunday, February 15, 2004:

Watching from a distance, I stand anxiously awaiting the child’s next move. At the tender age of four, this boy has eluded the supervision of his older brother to play amongst the railing of the second floor balcony. Peering over the edge to the carpeted first floor the boy thinks to himself, “Just like on TV…” Without giving his actions a second thought the boy squeezes through the bars and lunges recreating the flight pattern Superman often uses when traveling great distances. His body floats effortlessly in the air for a moment then comes crashing down to the earth from his fifteen foot drop. His mother rushes to her child then to the phone to dial 911. Though she may not see it at the moment, I know this child will be great.

As years pass I watch this child growing up. In eighth grade he gives up his front row seat as concert master for a seat in the back. Members are doubtful of his decision, but with his new position in the orchestra, he can take the time to learn the bass. Though this teenager has his critics, I know he will still amaze.

In high school this teenager suffers from family disputes and the constant arguing of his parents. He takes the knowledge of the bass and auditions and makes it into the school jazz band. He also tries out for the school’s dance team and joins. These are his creative outlets and though this teenager has his troubles, it will only make him stronger.

I watch this teenager work hard through high school and it makes me proud to see him graduate. Tiers are shed from his friends and family as he leaves for college. In college he stands as one of 1,000 people trying out to dance in the super bowl XXXVII pre-game show and he makes it. He is 1 of the 300 dancers that make it and of the 300 dancers, 20 of them are male. 1 of 1,000 dancers there that day. I watch excitedly as he helps put on the super bowl pre-game show. This young man has his competitors, but I know he will excel.

This young man works hard and graduates from college. Entering the job market, he starts out working at a company in a low position job, but gradually makes his way up. Later on, an opportunity to start his own business arises and he leaves his job to start his company. The first few years his business struggles but the lessons learned from his adolescence helps him and pushes him not to give up. He works harder and as years pass the company becomes more stable and grows in size. I watch this man and as the head CEO of an established company, he is now self-sufficient.

Walking down the sidewalk he sees a homeless man sleeping. With the money he has earned he donates to various homeless shelters and also chooses to start an after school tutoring program for students facing adversity. This man is compassionate and has learned to help others. This man eventually grows old and I watch as he passes away in a hospital one night.

Often times as children grow up into a mature adult, at some point along the way the question of identity arises. “Who am I?” asks a teen in contemplation. “I know who I am.” I say to myself, “My name is Allen Liu. I play the violin, but do not like classical music. I like pop music and to dance hip hop.” For me the question is never of who I am, but rather the question of who I want to become.

As I stand at the gates of heaven looking back on my life, I want to know that I have made a difference in the world. I want to live knowing that my existence helped impact the people around me for the better.

I have been told once before that, “Becoming great is not something you can become just because you want to, it is already determined by fate. People are different. They can only live in the un-opposable flow of life.” But for me the secret to controlling fate is the power to believe in yourself. By believing in yourself one can change fate. I know this instinctively and constantly push myself to try new things. Never second guessing my actions when learning something new, I attempt to become well rounded and the best at the activities that inspire me to become great.

Allenini // 11:27 PM

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