The Truth
What a horrible day I had today! To my dismay, I woke up late this morning to find that my mother had washed my new jeans in hot water and faded the fabric. I put on the dingy pants, and went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. There wasn’t any cereal in the cupboard other than freaking healthy cereal so I pulled out some strawberry Pop-Tarts, and headed off to school.
On my way to school, I waited at least 15 minutes at the stupid stoplights in my ’98 Camaro. I wanted to get a 2002 Camaro, but my greedy parents told me that they would trade this one in a few years if I treated it well. Because of the stupid stoplights, I had to park all the way at the freaking end of the junior lot and arrived late to first period.
During the course of the day, I found out that a girl I liked decided to go to prom with this other jerk and I failed my math quiz.
That evening, I drove down to the city to go catch a movie with my friends. The beautiful sun traveled close to the horizon as we walked towards the theater. I noticed that the alleys grew dark and ominous. All of a sudden, this hobo from the dark tried to grab me and take my money. Terrified, I pushed the dirty old man off me, and bolted home. Subsequently, I didn’t fall asleep that night.
A different perspective
The bitter cold awoke me from a horrible nightmare before the sun rose in the morning. I folded my arms closer to my chest, and spread a tattered blanket over my body, but it didn’t work as the wind waged war against my body. I got up from my corner, and began to work my sore uncomfortable muscles.
Shortly, the city awoke with motion. From a public bench, I watched the people around me hurrying about, wishing I could belong. My stomach grumbled abruptly, but I had no food nor possessed the means to obtain any sustenance. Society had beaten my mind, body, and soul, as I felt the weight of a world I had no place in on my shoulders.
A whole day passed me by without a glance. The blood red sun sunk beneath the horizon. Desperate for a solution, I pondered the idea of ending my pitiful life. Just then, a young angel walked by, reminding me of the beauty of life. Full of hope, I reached out my hand and called out for his help, but instead he fiercely pushed me down to the hard concrete. He left me alone on the side of the street and never looked back. That night, I did not fall asleep.
What a horrible day I had today.
Sharing the talent of our alumni, The Olympian presents classic stories from its archive, including this article by Joe Hicken first published on April 26, 2002.