A Time When I tried to impress someone

Once when I was nine years old, my friends and I were playing around a river. After some time we got bored and decided to come up with another thing to do. My friend Tom came up with an idea. A dare contest. We started making some silly dares for various friends, but then Tom popped up the dare, “One of you people walk across the slippery log across that river.”

Most of the people were scared and didn’t want to do it. But, I wanted to impress them so I volunteered instantly. The whole bet was laid out. I walk across the log to the other side without any major stumbles, and on the way back from the opposite side we have to walk backwards. Pangs of doubt awoke in my head the moment the plan was laid out. This was an extremely dangerous task to do, but had already decided to do it so there was no turning back. We walked to the riverbank. The river was fast flowing and dangerous. The log was positioned dangerously over the river. I valiantly put my foot on the log and started walking. The log was slimy and wet, fragile and heavy. I concentrated every particle of mind on the log and how to balance. Every step I took was a cautious one. I could hear my friends cheering for me. It was a frightening yet exhilarating experience. I nearly stumbled on a patch of particularly slippery slime and almost fell. I made a mental note to remember where the patch of slime was. Before I knew it I was on the other side. I was overjoyed I survived. But then I remembered that I had to go back…

I was scared. Backward, I stepped on the log and started walking. I walked very slowly, keeping my balance at all times. I was concentrating every particle of my mind on getting to the other side. Then, suddenly, I slipped on the slimy part of the log. Time seemed to slow. I fell in a comical curve. My flailing arms searching the air for a grip. My friends were screaming, some were panicking, some were shouting, “SOMEONE CALL 911!!!”

At last my arms found grip. It was a small branch. I tried to pull myself up but I couldn’t. I told my friends to wait downstream for me, incase I fell. Then, moments later, the branch snapped. I was falling through the air. Then I landed. The water was FREEZING.There were rocks all over the place. Everything was water, water, water. I ran into a couple of sharp rocks on the way downstream, bloody scratched covered my face, legs, and arms. I was praying my friends would fish me out before the rapids. I started to flail again. Then many arms grabbed mine and pulled as hard as they could… then I was safe. Dizzily, I looked around, I was on land. I was safe.

If there was one thing I learned after the incident, it was never try to impress your friends with something foolish and dangerous.