Learning Can Be Scary

Learning
Can Be Scary
This excerpt about learning new things and new situations is an example of a personal narrative
essay that describes learning to swim.
"Learning something new can be a scary experience. One of the hardest things I've ever had to
do was learn how to swim. I was always afraid of the water, but I decided that swimming was
an important skill that I should learn. I also thought it would be good exercise and help me to
become physically stronger. What I didn't realize was that learning to swim would also make
me a more confident person.
New situations always make me a bit nervous, and my first swimming lesson was no exception.
After I changed into my bathing suit in the locker room, I stood timidly by the side of the pool
waiting for the teacher and other students to show up. After a couple of minutes the teacher
came over. She smiled and introduced herself, and two more students joined us. Although they
were both older than me, they didn't seem to be embarrassed about not knowing how to swim.
I began to feel more at ease."
The Manager. The Leader.
The following excerpt is a narrative essay about a manager who was a great leader. Notice the
intriguing first sentence that captures your attention right away.
"Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had
something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply,
'If I were any better, I would be twins!' He was a unique manager because he had several
waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters
followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was
having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the
situation."
The Climb
This excerpt from The Climb also captures your attention right away by creating a sense of
mystery. The reader announces that he or she has "this fear" and you want to read on to see
what that fear is.
"I have this fear. It causes my legs to shake. I break out in a cold sweat. I start jabbering to
anyone who is nearby. As thoughts of certain death run through my mind, the world appears
a precious, treasured place. I imagine my own funeral, then shrink back at the implications of
where my thoughts are taking me. My stomach feels strange. My palms are clammy. I am
terrified of heights. Of course, it's not really a fear of being in a high place. Rather, it is the view
of a long way to fall, of rocks far below me and no firm wall between me and the edge. My
sense of security is screamingly absent. There are no guardrails, flimsy though I picture them,
or other safety devices. I can rely only on my own surefootedness-or lack thereof."
Disneyland
The following narrative essay involves a parent reflecting on taking his kids to Disneyland for
the first time.
"It was a hot, sunny day, when I finally took my kids to the Disneyland. My son Matthew and
my daughter Audra endlessly asked me to show them the dreamland of many children, with
Mickey Mouse and Snow White walking by and arousing a huge portion of emotions. Somehow
these fairy-tale creatures can make children happy without such 'small' presents as $100 Lego
or a Barbie house with six rooms and garden furniture. Therefore, I thought that Disneyland
was a good invention for loving parents."
The Sacred Grove of Oshogbo by Jeffrey Tayler
The following essay contains descriptive language that helps to paint a vivid picture for the
reader of an interesting encounter.
"As I passed through the gates I heard a squeaky voice. A diminutive middle-aged man came
out from behind the trees - the caretaker. He worked a toothbrush-sized stick around in his
mouth, digging into the crevices between algae'd stubs of teeth. He was barefoot; he wore a
blue batik shirt known as a buba, baggy purple trousers, and an embroidered skullcap. I asked
him if he would show me around the shrine. Motioning me to follow, he spat out the results
of his stick work and set off down the trail."
Playground Memory
This excerpt from "Playground Memory" has very good sensory details.
"Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick
on that leaves me with the fabled "warm and fuzzy feelings." As the daughter of an Air Force
Major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the
monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grande Canyon and
have jumped on the beds at Caesar's Palace in Lake Tahoe. However, I have discovered that
when reflecting on my childhood, it is not the trips that come to mind, instead there are details
from everyday doings; a deck of cards, a silver bank or an ice cream flavor. One memory that
comes to mind belongs to a day of no particular importance. It was late in the fall in Merced,
California on the playground of my old elementary school; an overcast day with the wind
blowing strong. I stood on the blacktop, pulling my hoodie over my ears. The wind was causing
miniature tornados; we called them "dirt devils", to swarm around me."
Christmas Cookies
This excerpt from "Christmas Cookies" makes good use of descriptive language.
"Although I have grown up to be entirely inept at the art of cooking, as to make even the most
wretched chef ridicule my sad baking attempts, my childhood would have indicated otherwise;
I was always on the countertop next to my mother's cooking bowl, adding and mixing
ingredients that would doubtlessly create a delicious food. When I was younger, cooking came
intrinsically with the holiday season, which made that time of year the prime occasion for me
to unite with ounces and ounces of satin dark chocolate, various other messy and gooey
ingredients, numerous cooking utensils, and the assistance of my mother to cook what would
soon be an edible masterpiece. The most memorable of the holiday works of art were our
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, which my mother and I first made when I was about six and are now
made annually."

Learning Can Be Scary

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