Welcome to a New World

First Assignment – Ryan Chen

Tranquil. Or at least, attempting to be as much as possible. To be perfectly honest, I’m completely stressed out of my mind about college in general, but at least there is one class with a familiar name. My summer was incredibly monotonous. Most of the time was spent lazing around and playing video games, and sometimes just taking a leisurely stroll with my friends. Occasionally there would be a trip to a further away location (off the top of my head, I’ve gone to Little Island Park and to several meetup gatherings with people I’ve met online); but overall, my summer was incredibly lackluster. Attached below is a photo of my sister’s dog, Abu, and I. I’ve known her for almost a year now, but the big twist here is that I used to have a mild fear of dogs, due to a common Asian mindset that dogs are aggressive and may attack randomly. Currently, I am rather fond of Abu, and eager to play with her again every time my sister comes back to visit. What I’m about to say may not be the most unique statement made, but from this image is definitive proof that things can change. I was able to overcome my mild fear and adore Abu. Change is not always a bad thing.

(A quick little tidbit, Abu couldn’t stay put while taking the photo, so we had to grab her attention with a tennis ball. In the photo, my sister was holding a tennis ball above the camera.)

2 Comments

  1. Sarah Schmerler

    Ryan,
    First off, I can relate. I my son was afraid of dogs from the time he was little. I never really knew why. Lately, he seems to be “over” it, or rather, I should say that he has encountered a couple of dogs (owned by people we know) that he really likes.
    Let me correct myself here: I don’t think we ever really get “over” anything; I think that we get courageous in moments and then change, but are still who we always were. Does that make sense?
    I really like your post. Our summer was lackluster as well. Great word. Wish I had thought of it.
    Oh, and telling us about the tennis ball off-screen. Brilliant. I wish more people would say what we DON’T see in photos! : )

  2. Shantal Garcia

    I’m glad to see a familiar class too, but just like you adapted to high school you’ll adapt to college. No need for stress!
    -Shantal G.

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