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Rayson Zhao

OLC4O P1

Mr. Sarno

March 8, 2024

The Power of First Times

Life is like a marathon, every "first time" is our starting line.(analogy) Although we

may stumble at the starting line, so what?(rhetorical question) What's important is that

we learn valuable lessons from every fall, and use it as motivation to run towards the

finish line. Someone once said, "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to

start to be great."(appeal to authority) So, here I am, sharing my not-so-great first

times with you.

First of all, my first IELTS exam. To say I was nervous is an understatement.

(colloquialism) Walking into the exam room, my mind went blank. It was as if all the

English I had learned had decided to go on vacation.(analogy) The listening section

was a cacophony of accents and unfamiliar phrases, how I wished I had a pair of

magical ears to decipher everything.(Irony) As for the reading section, well, let's just

say I never want to read a foreign language again.Those articles seem to never end,

and the questions? They are as difficult as solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded.

(analogy) I stumbled in the oral exam, sounding like a broken record, and the

examiners looked at me in utter surprise, as if they didn't know what I was talking

about. Let's not even talk about the writing part, I just want to say, if my essay was a

meal, Gordon Ramsay would spit it out.(irony) But you know what? I survived.
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Through this exam, I at least understood the process of the test, recognized my

shortcomings, and most importantly, I learned that sometimes you have to embrace

failure and keep moving forward.

Ugh, it's my first time giving a speech on stage. I've been preparing for weeks, but

when I stepped up to the podium, my legs turned to jelly.(analogy) I opened my

mouth on stage, but instead of the strong words I had prepared, all that came out was

a squeak. My voice seemed to have changed too, "Hello everyone, my name is..." The

teachers and classmates who usually find me annoying for speaking loudly were now

annoyed at how quietly I was speaking, as if my throat had been taken away. I could

feel the audience's eyes on me, and I thought, "Well, this is it, this is how I

die."(anecdote) But I managed to stumble through the speech, and when I finally

finished, the applause gradually came from my ears. Although I knew they didn't

think I did well, it was just a kind of encouragement for me, but it was the sweetest

sound I had ever heard. That experience made me realize that sometimes the only way

to overcome fear is to face it head-on. Facing a crowd is not as scary as it seems, the

key is to be prepared and believe in your abilities. Since then, I have not been so

afraid of public speaking, but instead started to enjoy the process. This is because I

have learned how to find my comfort zone in tension and pressure, how to turn

tension into passion and motivation.

For my first attempt at cooking, I decided to surprise my family by making a delicious

dinner. Little did I know, the kitchen was like an unknown laboratory to me,(analogy)

with each seasoning and cooking step being a serious test of taste and skill. I followed
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a recipe I found on TikTok, but I also understand why some people say cooking is an

art. Because the final product of that meal did not meet my expectations at all - it was

probably the saltiest fried rice ever (Irony).My mom tried a few bites, but ended up

ordering takeout. Luckily, it was just too salty, but my mom said it still tasted good.

However, it was this "disastrous success" that made me realize that every attempt,

regardless of the outcome, is a valuable learning experience. Later on, I became more

confident in cooking and more willing to try new recipes. Every time I finish a dish

on my own, I think back to that cooking experience, which not only taught me how to

cook, but more importantly, taught me to find joy in failure, keep trying, and

eventually succeed.

In conclusion, life is a series of "first times", each one a starting line that challenges

us to grow, learn, and become better versions of ourselves. Through my own

experiences, I've learned that the path to success is rarely smooth. It's filled with

stumbles, setbacks, and moments of self-doubt. But it's in these moments that we

discover our true strength and resilience.