Shengliver’s Note: Chenglu has learned a lesson: Positivity makes life colourful and bright.

 

I am aware that sometimes I am behaving erratically. One moment I am nice and calm. Another moment I lose my composure and throw a tantrum. My folks say, “Girl, you are really moody.”

 

A few days ago, our sports meeting kicked off. At first I was very happy because the sports event meant no homework for two days. My mood lasted up to the moment when some of my classmates asked me to run the races. You can’t imagine how much I loathed running at the event in front of such a large audience. Fast as I can run, I did not fancy competing in the races at all. When I got home, I shared my problem with my mother. My mother, however, was of a different mind. She tried to persuade me to get involved. She said, “Participation in sports does good to you. You should go for it.” Her words plunged me into one of my sour moods. I ended up arguing feverishly with her since she did not support me.

 

At the sports meeting I found I could not say no to my classmates when they asked me to run. And I did run, reluctantly though.

 

The next day was Sunday. When I opened my eyes in the morning, I had a bad sore throat and my legs hurt a lot, which I blamed on the races I had run. My mother kept talking to me about this and that and she would not shut up. I was so annoyed that I did not respond to her. As you can imagine, I was smouldering with resentment, thinking that my mother was so callous.

 

Next I called Father on the phone and complained to him about what had happened. I went on and on so that my father could not stand it. He rang off before I could finish. At the moment I felt I was a neglected child instead of a mature 16-year-old. My parents were cut up about my caprice. I remember Mother saying, “Why are you so capricious, girl? You are already 16.”

 

Having reflected upon my behaviour, I realised that what I had done did not make any sense. I screamed, cried, and quarrelled, just for such a trivial matter of running the races at the sports meeting. I ruined others’ mood, and they started to dislike me.

 

Someone says, “Life is like a mirror. If you smile at it, it will smile back.” It couldn’t be truer. Were I to keep whining, everything would turn dark and grey. Why not have a colourful life by being positive?

 

On Monday I apologised to my parents.