The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXXI

Tyler Rogers
Jaclyn Poremski, Teacher
St. Agatha School, Milton, MA
In my life, at eleven years old, I have had the courage to get through both
difficult and creative challenges. I know that I have faced difficult times in my
life and that I had to use courage. I am going to tell you about what type of
courage I needed and why I needed it.
One of the first times I had to use courage in my life was when I began to
discover my creativity and really liked being outdoors, so I started to pick up
the hobby of whittling. I used physical courage, which means I was willing to
face physical hardship, pain, death, or threat of death. The physical courage
I needed in doing this was when I cut my fingers deeply while whittling. That’s
when I had the courage to keep on going and working on the wood even if
there was a chance I could get cut again. If you don’t know what I mean by
this, then think about yourself doing something you like—riding a bike, for
example. Over time, you get really experienced, but sometimes you fall and
get injured badly. Then when you avoid that activity for a long time and heal,
you finally find the courage to try it again.
“Courage is facing
your fears and
overcoming them.”
All in all, these examples I’ve written about show how I’ve had to use courage
and the different types of courage I’ve used: physical, creative, and moral
examples of courage. Every day, I see examples of courage. Police on the
news, our military troops protecting our country, and everyday heroes helping
others. Courage is facing your fears and overcoming them.
The second time I used courage in my life was when I joined the school drama
club. I used creative courage during drama, which means I had the willingness
to change the established perceptions, was willing to fail, and kept trying to act
on new knowledge. I have to use courage to get through a creative situation
in order to participate. In drama, I am using this courage because we are
doing the junior play of Beauty and the Beast. I need this courage because I was
chosen to be the Beast. I believe I will need this courage to memorize my lines
and to perform in front of a lot of people.
Another time I had to use courage in my life was when I wore a face mask
because of the contagiousness of COVID-19, but no one else I was with was
wearing one. I used moral courage, held on to my belief in wearing a mask,
and stood up to peer pressure when no one else was wearing one. Whether
I am vaccinated or not, I believe wearing a mask is the right thing to do to
protect yourself and others.
The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond
Volume XXXI
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