Personal Narrative: Turning The Tides

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Turning the Tides
My hands shook like leaves on a tree as I jumped into the shark infested waters which lay below me. The sea was an ice bath, but I was not an athlete looking to soothe my bones. I glanced around to see somebody but the rest of my troop still remained on the ivory white schooner. The three masts were redwoods stretching high into the sky with a large white canopy protruding above the booms. The waves battered the hull as the captain, dressed in nothing more than a red tank top and navy blue cargo shorts, began to lower a large hunk of black iron into the royal blue ocean littered with small white crests. As the anchor displaced the water, the rest of the crew members jumped like synchronized divers off of the ship and into the vibrant coral reefs which surrounded the coast of Key West.
The turmoil of the open seas reflected the chaotic ambiance aboard the ship. As I …show more content…
The trip transformed me. I began to live my life by a different slogan: do a good turn daily. For years I had heard those words repeated at weekly scout meetings, but always wondered how I could help someone on a daily basis. This critical question rang in my brain like the dinner bell aboard the boat, however, this time my thought were the ones stewing. I had joined a community service organization and became more involved within community outreach within my church, but I still was not able to help people on a daily basis. When I least expected it, an epiphany occurred, aspiring to become a public servant.
In the beginning of my senior year, I began a capstone project on the inner workings of a political campaign, and began an internship for Ted Kennedy Jr.: my local state senate representative. I joined an unofficial mock congress, where we regularly seek bipartisan compromise on issues such as the tax code reform and disputes about foreign policy.Yearning, one day I could finally fulfill my promise as a boy
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