It Only Takes A Single Moment To Change Who You Are Forever
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

It Only Takes A Single Moment To Change Who You Are Forever

Little did I know that I’d go from scooting around children in kiddie pools to pounding on a man’s chest, trying to get him to breathe.

112
It Only Takes A Single Moment To Change Who You Are Forever
level10regina

Defining moments come as explosions. They’re sudden pockets of enlightenment that come without warning or prelude. And yet, you’ll find that in movies and novels, there’s always a build up. Every story has those common attributes that we know and find routine in. Rising action, climax, falling action, etc.

But real life is a far cry from well thought out literary/cinematic masterpieces. In these, we perpetually seek out arbitrary things.

Balance and chaos.

Good and evil.

Black and white.

But in the real world, when making decisions for yourself and for others, most of the world operates in shades of grey. While it's difficult to use this analogy without snickers of jokes regarding lewd novels, there’s an undeniable ambiguity in the decisions you have to make when you have something or someone on the line.

So much so that it’s only in these shades of grey that you’ll find your defining moments, exploding between gunmetal and slate, or silver and chrome, lighting up your discoveries and finding yourself born anew.

It began with a simple plan. Hang out with friends. Get food. Watch a movie. Looking back, if that day hadn’t turned out the way it did, I doubt I would have even remembered it at all. But then again, no one ever writes stories about the days they sat at home binge-watching episodes of Friends. I remember that day so well that I can still hear the sirens.

Cars get obscenely hot in the summer. That’s what I was thinking when a woman ran out of the house next to my friend Sam’s, barefoot and yelling, a cordless landline phone gripped tightly in her hand. She ran right up to Sam, who was just leaving her home. I didn’t know what was going on and got out of my car, walking up to her and trying to contain my bewilderment.

She asked for Sam’s mom, implored her to hurry and after no explanation, turned back toward her own house. We sat down on Sam’s steps, watching as her mother went to join the distressed woman. It was when Sam’s mom resurfaced, shouting, “Does someone know CPR?” that I found myself running, too. Running toward her.

Back when I got my lifeguard certification, my mom was annoyed. “What a waste of two hundred bucks,” she told me. And while a lifeguard certification did require a fee of two hundred dollars, it was, at the time, my proudest achievement. As a teenager, very few jobs were available in my area and lifeguarding was one of the most efficient ways for me to make money. Little did I know that I’d go from scooting around children in kiddie pools to pounding on a man’s chest, trying to get him to breathe.

That was the moment when I exploded.

Somehow, my training kicked in. The man’s two children were sitting on the bed next to me as I rhythmically did compressions, counting off in my head. And between the quiet sobs of “Daddy,” beside me and the lack of a rising chest below me, I looked around in anguish before I decided to break the no direct-contact rule of CPR and I pressed my bare lips to the man’s and blew into his lungs. His chest started to rise. But before I could have a moment of victory, he started to seize. He gripped my arms tightly as he rode out the fit. When he stopped, I got myself free and continued compressions until the paramedics arrived.

I left the room, walked down and out the front door. Something in me wavered while I considered the then unknown fate of the stranger. I didn’t realize I was crying until Sam asked me what happened.

You’ll grow up your whole life thinking you’re a specific kind of person and it’ll take something immeasurably unexpected to shake your foundations. In my explosion, I didn’t realize at the time, but after I finished wiping away those tears, I ricocheted through the spectrum of grey until I landed somewhere between lead and iron, with a newfound skin hardened by both.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

21819
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

948777
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

125659
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments