Personal Narrative

I walked into the room with mirrors all around me, the playing of soft music in the background, and the smell of sweat and hard work in the air. I know I'm in the right place. The counting 5,6,7,8 repeatedly followed by the hard thumbs on the shiny waxed brown wooden floor made by the perfectly pointed toes moving rhythmically to the music. The dancers don’t stop as I enter or even acknowledge my presence. Focus has taken over them and the determination to get it right is all that matters at this moment. I look to the front of the room to see a small lady with long golden blonde hair down to her back, bright brown eyes, and extremely long lashes hunched over with her hands on her knees and a stern look on her face, as she counts out loud and

I asked simple questions like what highsteppers stand for and what they hoped to achieve in the future. She replied with bland generic answers that honestly I expected her to say such as “love... and to get bigger.” I felt the tension in her body loosen up as she thinks that this interview was going to be a breeze, her smile brightening with laughter between her words, it's time to attack. Now as I threw questions that I thought would rabble her up, throw her off, make her tense up and stutter, I was the one, in fact, that was thrown off by her coolness in the situation. Nothing I was asking phased her. Her smile never dropped, laughter was still in her voice. I was confused. The part that threw me off the most was how logical her answers

She took a deep breath and apologized.
She then replied “to know how valuable they are as a person, and cherished. Highsteppers is more than just dancing, it's about developing character. I hope that they find something that they love as much as I love them.’ She then wiped off the tears that were now rolling down her face, her cheeks turning a rosy red, however, she still sustained a bright smile on her face. I was left in awe as a silence came over the both of us. After a few seconds I simply got up and gave her a hug, thanked her for her time, and walked out. I didn't know what else to do, but I left with a warm feeling inside. I wish every teacher was as dedicated as Mrs. Jones. Her top priority, always is her girls and only does what's in the best interest of them. People judge and criticize because they simply don't understand and it really isn't her job to go out of her way to make them. I have a newfound respect for the highsteppers and all they work and stand