Anika's Non-Fiction Blog

I stood at the top of the bright yellow tube slide at the Sholem Aquatic Center biting my nails. I stared down into the dark entrance of the slide, watching the water rushing into the slide. My dad stood next to me and I looked up at him with a worried face. “I don’t know,” I said. “I’m scared.” My six year old self was struggling with an internal battle. On the one hand going down the tube slide would be so cool and I would be happy when I had accomplished my goal. On the other hand the slide was dark and closed-off and anything could happen in there when I was alone. I stayed at the top of the tube slide for at least 30 minutes just standing there and shivering trying to make a decision. Finally, I let go of the metal bar at the top of the slide and tumbled down, water rushing around me. All summer I had wanted to go down the slide but I could not decide if I wanted to our not. I ended up going down the slide on the last day the pool was open and waited until the final hour bef...

This essay is too short so let me know if there are any places where I can elaborate. Also, I’m thinking of cutting the first and/or second paragraph. What do you guys think? When I first read this question I started thinking about survival strategies I would use to survive in the wild if I was lost without supplies. The things that came to my mind were building fires, scavenging for food, finding water, climbing trees, making shelter, etc. I quickly realized that I didn’t actually have any of these skills or at least not that I know of because I’ve never been put in a situation where I have to use skills like these. The only thing that I really have to survive is school--which, to be honest, is not an easy task. My go to survival tool at school is definitely my planner. Everyday when fourth period roles around I pull out my planner and record every assignment, activity, or meeting that I have coming up. When Ms. Morford told us that all of the subbies were going t...