In my fourth grade English class, we began learning how to
write research papers. When the time
came to actually pick a topic, we did so by drawing from a plastic container
that contained names of various historical figures. I drew Amelia Earhart. Because history is not my strong suite and I
did not neither care nor appreciate aviation at the time, I was terrified! I did not think I would be able to complete
the task. However, with the help of
several books and websites and a few mental breakdowns, I managed to write an
A+ paper and discovered an appreciation for aviation!
Yes, Amelia Earhart is known as the first woman to fly
across the Atlantic, where she later died trying to be the first woman to fly
around the world, but did you know that she too did not like or appreciate
flying at first? When she was ten years
old, she was unimpressed by the first plane she saw, which was displayed at a
state fair. She disgustedly described it
as “a thing of rusty wire and wood and looked not at all interesting.” However,
ten years later, when a pilot dove at her and a friend during a stunt-flying
exhibition, something inside of her awakened, and thereby, changed her feelings
towards planes and aviation forever.
I feel I can relate to Earhart since we both shared similar
initial and negative thoughts on aviation.
Yet, we both learned to appreciate flight. The only difference is that she chose to
become a successful pilot in the air, while I am choosing to be a successful
pilot on the ground [hopefully as a successful physician]. After all, like she once said,
“The most difficult thing is the
decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.
The fears are paper tigers. You
can do anything you decide to do. You
can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its
own reward.”
Source:
The Official Website
of Amelia Earhart. n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
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