Episode 21: If there well there a way
If There Well There A Way
Tou Thao Robert Hathaway ENGL 1021 Final Draft 07-19-11
The Adventure of a Little Frog
Once upon a time, a little frog was born and grew up in a deep well. He had never gotten
a chance to explore the world outside of the place where he lived. The inside of the well was the
only place he had ever known. The little frog never thought of the world beyond his well. His
parents and grandparents also grew up and thought the same way as the little frog. They never
thought of leaving the well because they were happy with what they had, and who they were.
Everything seemed perfect to them. However, the little frog noticed a bright light above his
home. He became curious and wanted to investigate, so he decided to climb to the top of the
well. He was amazed with what he saw. “Oh my gosh! What is that?” thought the baby frog.
Unlike inside the well, there were plenty of places to go and many insects to eat, and the best
part was that there was a big wide pond next to a big lake. Beyond the big lake was an ocean!
The baby frog’s life was forever altered from that day forward.
Just as the little frog was born and raised in a small place, I was born and raised in the
small village in Laos. I grew up in the same village as my parents and grandparents. I did not
have the opportunity to attend a good school to learn about the outside world. I lived far away
from the city, and I needed to have money before I could attend any school outside of my village. With this reason, my parents who were poor farmers could not send me to attend any good grade
school. Even though we did not have an education, we were satisfied with what we had, and who
we were because we did not know any better. Therefore, schooling was never an option in my
mind. I had no idea what was going on with the world outside my village, and of course, I never
cared about it. At that time, I thought life was very straightforward. I simply got up early in the
morning to go work in the rice field with my parents and came home late at night. The idea of a
broader world existing outside of our small village never came to my mind. However, when I
was given the opportunity to travel to the U.S., my life changed dramatically. I am the baby frog
that reached the top of the well, so I now see the entire view and the opportunities of the world
outside.
The little frog struggled when he first discovered the world outside. I was the little frog
who came to the U.S. as an adult, so I did not have the opportunity to attend any grade school
here. I did not have good fundamentals of the English language. Wherever I went, people spoke
in English. Many times I felt isolated from the world outside of my house. However, that
isolation also became my strength. I was able to discover the broader world that I am a part of. I
now have the opportunity to attend college and work to support myself. Unlike my life in Laos
OS
that was controlled by the government, I now experience plenty of freedom in this country. I am
as
allowed to travel anywhere in the U.S, and I am free to do whatever I want to as long as I respect
the laws of the country. Likewise, the baby frog that used to live in the small deep well is now
living in a big lake which has given it many more choices and the freedom to roam. He can travel
as freely as he desires.
Even though I have many similarities as the little frog, there is one big difference
between him and me because I am a human being. So I will go even further than he. I can do
things that the he could never do. After I graduate from Century College, I will continue my
education at a four year University. I can go even further to get my Master’s degree. Unlike the
baby frog, with my degree, I can make a different decision for my future family. I want be a
good role model for my children because I want to give them the opportunity to live outside of
the small well. I will mention the wide range of opportunities so that my children will have the
knowledge to know what they are capable of doing.
The little frog that lived in the deep well is now living in a larger and better atmosphere.
He was brave enough to take a risk by stepping outside of the well, and he is now free to
discover what his heart desires. I now realize that I was the baby frog who remained in the deep
well, my village, too long to understand the world outside. I spent all of my childhood farming
instead of getting an education. However, the experiences I had will help me overcome the
obstacles that I might face in the future. Importantly, I reached the top of the well, and I now
have plenty of places to go forward and plenty of opportunities in my life.
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