Invisible Child

This is a short writing  I had to write in school about an experience I had with a child I saw go through something as similar as I did and how it affected me and also how it helped me grow:

Invisible Child

I recall a moment when I watched this little girl sit alone at a cafeteria table; she kept her body tensed but low, and her eyes never left the necklace she kept tightly coiled around her small delicate fingers as she fidgeted with it. She was all alone with no slight expression of comfort or confidence. Then I remember suddenly she was pushed off her chair by a couple of elementary school kids, and how they laughed as if it was the funniest thing of the year; however, I found myself standing over the child with a helping hand and couldn't help but notice the hot fresh tears flushed from her eyes. I opened my mouth after I helped her up, but she opened hers, said thank you and ran off. While I watched her run off, that haunting feeling crept upon me, so did the memories.

I was in the second grade; I was quiet, shy, and polite but I pushed away any communication if I could. I lacked confidence because of my learning disability and self-esteem because of the kids and people that wanted to keep me invisible to the world. I remember how sick I felt when I noticed I was next in line to stand in front of the classroom and count to a hundred or by twos and threes and so on and how my palms sweated and body jolted every time the teacher screamed at me that I knew how to do it and that I needed to go faster, but I couldn't; I remember how I wanted to fit in so bad with a crowd that I said "yes" to whatever made others happy; I remember placing my hand in with a group of white kids but was rejected because the boy who hated me from the day he met me shoved it away because I didn't match them, so I kept myself invisible. Just like the little girl I met but never did actually get to meet her, you only achieve if you believe, not only in yourself but in what you want to achieve. Just like the quote I ran across said, "Some chains are more mental than physical." As humans, we have to have that self-esteem in order to feel right about ourselves and have that courage to go on; we need that confidence to keep that fire inside us to do what we want to do. If I could go back to my eight year old self, I would tell me to believe. Just because you were held back in the first grade doesn't mean you are not smart and just because others may not have faith in you doesn't mean you have to be invisible; have faith in yourself and be yourself and achieve only for you; therefore, let your mind elevate and be an inspiration to others in your situation.