The word “break” has a negative connotation to it. When someone says break, we think of finished, never to be fixed again. Yes, breaking things is bad, but sometimes they’re good. Sometimes they lead to new chapters in life, sometimes they lead to stories that can be told over and over again. I interviewed six people in my life and asked for a story about a time they broke something, and this is what I got.
That time I broke a bone.
Okay, so what happened is I was jumping on the trampoline when I was a sophomore in high school the first day that we had it, and I messed up doing a springboard diving trick. I landed on my head and there was a nice loud crunch. But, I could feel my hands and feet so I figured I was fine. I cried for a few and then got over it, and went to my first in-flight instruction. So I flew a piper 140 in a bumpy grassy field with a broken neck, whoops. Then I finished the day, and told my mom my hands felt funny, so we went to the ER, they freaked out, and I got x-rays, a CT, and an MRI. I ended up being awake for a total of 34 hours, colored my neck brace several fun colors with sharpies, and moved on in my oh so sexy neck brace. I got back to diving season a month late, but still qualified for conference and sectionals, and missed qualifying for state by a half a point.
That time I broke a window.
It was when I thought I would be a volleyball player and I was pretty bad at serving, so like any good athlete, I decided to go outside and practice. We have a garage that has these windows on the top section so I figured I would serve above the glass because that had to be higher than the net. It was, but like I said, I'm bad at serving. So the first few were going pretty well; nice height, good speed. Well then I got distracted and hit it smack on the window and it shattered. Now I'm home alone like, “Dang, what now? I can say a bird hit it but who would believe that?" I immediately realized that I really could have found a better place to practice. So then I figured the least I could do is clean up the garage and sweep away all of the broken glass. The garage is one of those places that is just dirty and no one really goes in there because, you know, bugs -- and I hate bugs. But I brave the dangers of roaches and spiders just so I wouldn't get into too much trouble. When I got in there, I noticed that the glass had fallen into a couple of boxes and I was very irritated that I would have to handle that too. And it turned out, in one of those boxes were all of these books I thought I had lost when we were moving. So in the midst of all my worry and stress, I was ecstatic because these were things that I had missed for a long time.
That time I broke up with someone.
Okay, so basically there was this guy who I talked to from freshman to senior year of high school. We never were officially boyfriend and girlfriend or anything but we hooked up all the time and I thought I was in love with him. He broke my heart junior year but for whatever reason I still went back to him, even though I knew he was talking to other girls still. I had very low self-confidence at this point in my life and didn’t think I was worth much, and I always ended up going back to him. I knew he just wanted me for a hookup, and he was very possessive. By my senior year of high school I was slowly starting to get over him but the attachment was still there. I thought I could just move on with my life and still have him be in it. What I didn’t understand was what everyone had been telling me for months; the only way to move on with my life was to completely cut him out of it. Over winter break of this year he invited me over to his apartment, and for some reason I went. I don’t know why I did this. I didn’t even want to go, and when I got there we hooked up and I didn’t even enjoy it or his company. I just felt like I had to say yes. It was after that night that I realized I was completely over him, I just didn’t want to be rude and cut him out of my life completely. Finally, at the end of winter break, I decided to block his number and block him on all social media so he had absolutely no way to contact me. He had been so toxic to me throughout high school and I had no feelings for him anymore whatsoever, and I deserved better. This was something I know both God and my loved ones had wanted me to do for awhile, because they saw how this guy had affected me. I just didn’t think I was strong enough to cut him out of my life but I definitely was. Since my decision to cut off this toxic connection, I have been so much lighter and happier. I met a boy who I now love with all my heart, and I know he is a gift from God. God wouldn’t have brought him into my life if I hadn’t been strong and cut off old and unhealthy ties. This whole experience has taught me that when it comes to feelings, I need to worry about myself and what affects me. I need to listen to God and get rid of toxic people in my life, and through that I will be happier, stronger, and receive greater blessings than I could have ever imagined.
That time I broke the silence.
I decided to break my silence when I came out. I started with my friend who I trusted could keep this secret. I had never felt so vulnerable before. I told my friend and she calmly reassured me that it was 100 percent okay to be attracted to another girl and told me I wasn’t alone. Before that, I felt like I was the only person in the world who was struggling with my sexuality. Coming out to friends and family was very difficult. I found it took the most courage to come out to my closest and best friends. I still have yet to officially tell a lot of my close friends I’m gay. I just found it was easier to have them find out through Instagram than for me to work up enough courage to tell them. I guess I rationalized it with the thought that since they were the closest to me, they were the friends who had the most potential of hurting me. I realized that if they didn’t accept me, they shouldn’t be my friend anyway. From there, I started telling my friends and eventually decided to tell my parents. I didn’t know what, when, or how to tell them. Growing up, they always told me they’d love me no matter what (“what” being who I love). Once I came out to my parents, it kept getting easier. To this day, I am still not 100 percent comfortable with PDA. I still haven't figured out if it’s because we’re two girls, or if I’m simply not a fan of PDA in general.
One of my favorite ways I came out to one friend was in a seminar. I had gone to the same seminar three times in two days. I loved this particular speaker. I really valued each message she was teaching. This is when I really felt I had broken my silence and faced my fear. I raised my hand and proudly spoke out about myself. “I am gay, but no one really knows that ... well I guess now people do.” Everyone broke out into laughter. I felt like everything that had been dragging me down was lifted off of my shoulders. People came up to me after the session and told me stories about how they are gay, but they’re not out yet or they’re scared to tell their parents. One guy actually came up to me in tears telling me I am the first person he’s told that he’s gay. After that moment, I felt as if my whole world had changed. If I could have this pride for the rest of my life, nothing could make me happier. Since then, I have gotten nothing but endless love and support from friends, family, and even bosses! I got a weekend off of work from my openly gay boss to go to NYC Pride! Everyone has been incredibly accepting and this journey has really showed me a lot about the quality of my friends. “Quality, not quantity” -everyone. I have been blessed with both. Every single one of my friends and family members have been incredibly supportive.
That time I broke down.
Freshman year is great; I have new found freedom and I have a boyfriend! I really didn’t think life could get better. My boyfriend and I spent a year together, mainly just spending time in school, at movies during the weekends, and texting after school. It was great. My grandma was just as excited for me and my new transition when she came to town on her birthday so all the girls in the family could go out to eat and celebrate. We got all dressed up and ready to go. As I walked out of the door, I got a text from my boyfriend, yay! “Let’s break up” … um, what? At this moment, a waterfall of tears started streaming down my face and my heart felt like it was torn in half, ripped out, and then thrown on the street in order to be run over by a car. Everyone was ready to go, but I couldn’t! I was broken. I ran down into my basement and cried as I tried to call him. He kept ignoring my calls and the tears got heavier; I’d never felt sadness like this before. Next thing I know Grandma is sitting next to me and, using colorful language that I’d never heard before, told me to let him go since I was so young and he wasn’t worth it if all he could do was send a text. As Grandma told me about the first time she was dumped, I started to realize just how many boyfriends I would go through until I found “the one.” Grandma helped me fix my makeup and off we went to the restaurant, the breakup almost made me forget it was my grandma’s birthday! As the cake came and we did a toast, my grandma toasted to me and new beginnings and since that day, not only do I value my grandma’s support, but I value the lesson she taught me: “When life breaks you down pick yourself back up even higher than before.”
That time I broke a heart.
In eighth-grade, we were doing a pig dissection and we were all assigned a part to dissect. Lucky me, I broke the heart.
