I do not know why I came to the decision to become a loser, but I know I made the choice at a young age. Sometime in the middle of fourth grade, I stopped 1. By the time I was in seventh grade, I was your2degenerate (颓废): lazy, rebellious, and disrespectful. I had lost all social 3 I terminally (不可救药的) followed, what was fashionable.

    Not long after that, I dropped out of school and 4 my downward spiral. Hard physical labor was the5for the choices I made as an adolescent. At the age of twenty-one, I was6 lost and using drugs as a way to deal with the fact that I was uneducated and7 in a dead-end job carrying roof materials up a ladder all day.

    But now I believe in do-overs, in the8 to do it all again. And I believe that do-overs can be made at any point in your life, if you have the right 9 Mine came from a10source.

    It was September 21, 2002, when my son Blake was born. It's funny that after a life of 11responsibility, now I was in charge of something so 12Over the years, as I grew into the title of Dad, I began to learn something about myself13 Blake and I were both learning to walk, talk, work, and play for the first time. I began my do-over.

    It took me almost three years to learn 14to read. I started with my son's books. Over and over, I practiced reading books to him15 I remembered all the words in every one of them. I began to wonder if it was possible for me to go back to school. I knew I wanted to be a good role model,16 after a year-and-a-half and a lot of hard work, I passed my GED test on my son's fourth birthday. This may not sound like 17and I am not trying to get praise for doing something that should have been done in the first place, but all things considered it was one of the18days in my life. Today, I am a full-time college student, studying to become a sociologist.

    Growing up, I19 heard these great turn-around stories of triumph over shortcomings. But I never thought they applied to me. Now I believe it is a (an)20anyone can make: To do it all over again.

    I grew up in a small town. There was a man named Joe, who was uneducated and couldn't talk1. He was good natured but not very smart,2every one teased him.

    One day when was sitting on the porch, he came walking by, I was about 12 and thought it would make me 3grown up to play jokes on him as some 4did.

    He asked what I was doing, I told him that my father had 5his job and that we were short of money. I could see my friends nearby6so I went on with the7.From his8 expression, I'm convinced that I had fooled him 9.

    I knew he lived a 10life with low income, so it was funny when he asked11we needed anything. I told him that we didn't know if we would have enough to12he replied "you poor thing. "

    That night I heard the door13softly. I thought it was the wind whipping against the door, so I 14it. The next morning I found a small box of food outside my house, I knew it was from Bob. I looked into the box of canned food with15in my eyes. I felt ashamed for taking advantage of his 16towards me, I 17the whole story to my father and said I wanted to return the box. My father scolded me and 18that I keep the box; otherwise it would hurt Joe's feelings.

    Although the good was not19 I knew Joe gave the best he had. I did not20the gift.

    My friend Dom recently set himself a 21-day kindness challenge. Dom took up this challenge because he had been 1 some difficult times after a relationship breakup. Instead of feeling2 for himself, he turned a negative into a positive.

    He started Mother's Day by 3 his mother at her work with his brothers. He had won some money before, so on Day Two he donated some of his 4 to a local disability organization. Later that day, the local district was 5 by strong winds so he 6 his elderly neighbour's gutters (排水沟) on Day Three.

    On Day Four he 7 some elders in the retirement village, chatting with them. Trading in his car 8 for a bicycle helmet (头盔)for the next two days was Dom's way of being 9 to the environment. On Day Seven and Eight he picked up rubbish that was10 the river shore and he drove to the blood bank to make his blood 11 And then on Day Nine he bought a lottery ticket (彩票) and put it in an envelope with Act Of Kindness 12 on it before sending it. On Day Ten my daughter and I found ourselves 13 in a supermarket car park with a flat battery. I called Dom, who came to our 14 with a smile and 15started the car so we could get home.

    And so Dom's kindness continued for 16 eleven days. He 17 people to check his Facebook wall each day to see what he had achieved with the18 that others would feel inspired. His posts attracted more and more likes19the days went on. I have loved every minute of this, he posted on the last day. I encourage you all to 20 your comfort zone to continue the challenge.

    It was a cool October evening. Excitement and family members1the hall. I was only a 7-year-old girl, but I was the center of2. Finally, after weeks of preparation, I would3all my hard work in a dance of performance. Everything would be4—so I thought. I waited backstage all5 in my black tights with a golden belt. In a loud and clear voice, the master of ceremonies6that my class was next.

    My dance class was doing a routine on wooden boxes two feet by two feet, facing the7. All I had to do in the next move was to put one foot on the box next to mine and keep my other foot on my box. It really was an 8move. I was concentrating so much 9the huge smile on my face and holding my head up that I did not look 10I was going. I missed my partner's box altogether and 11.There I was standing on the stage floor when my classmates were on top of their boxes. I could hear giggles(咯咯笑) coming from the audience, and I felt the12rush to my face. I remembered my dance teacher had told us, “If you make a mistake, keep smiling so the audience will not13.I did my best to follow her14as I continued with the routine.

    When the curtain dropped, so did my15for the evening. I16bitterly, tasting the salt from the tears that streamed down my face. I ran backstage, but no one could17me down.

    Recently I realized I had been a18that night. I was 19but I fought the urge to run off the stage.20I finished the routine with a smile on my face. Now when friends and family laugh about the time I slipped during a dance performance, I can laugh too.

    I was sitting in the surgical waiting area(手术等候区) at the hospital waiting for word of my wife's operation. The small room was filled with other families and friends, who were 1 waiting to hear how their loved ones were doing.

    There was a young boy sitting quietly in the 2. He held a small box of 3in one hand and a tablet (写字板) in the other. Every so often he'd place the tablet on his lap and draw something. As the hours passed I began to see the room almost 4. And there was a strange silence.

    "Daddy, when is Mommy going home?" the young boy asked, breaking the 5.

    "Tomorrow." his father replied. The boy picked up his crayons (蜡笔) and 6 something on the tablet.

    I 7him as he moved his feet back and forth, looking up at the ceiling and then toward the sunshine-filled window. "When's 8, Daddy?" he asked. His father 9 him over to sit by him. "Come, 10 here next to me," he said with a gentle tone in his voice. 11 his things, the little boy walked slowly to his father's side from the corner. The man 12 out and held his son by his shoulder.

    "There are three days in life. Yesterday, today and tomorrow. One is over and done, one we live in, the other we 13. We can't live in yesterday, but if we are happy enough today, we will be even happier tomorrow," he said in an attempt to 14 the boy.

    The little boy looked at him for a moment and said, "If Mommy is going home tomorrow, I'll be 15. So, I want it to be tomorrow already, Daddy."

    Now hanging on every word of this 16, I leaned forward to hear his response. It was 17.

    "Son, the one great thing about today is once it 18, it is already almost tomorrow."

    I thought about how 19 it was. Even in my adult life, I still live waiting for what tomorrow may20. Now I know that it is already "almost tomorrow".

    As the train picked up its speed, the passengers slowly settled down on their seats, I1the lower berth(铺位),so that I could enjoy the2of outside from the moving train. I don t know why I always preferred to get the 3 seat. An elderly lady4the front seat of mine. I looked at her. She must be in her eighties, I guessed. At one point, we met our5. She smiled at me and I gave her a response. Both of us were6. By that time, the train was in its full speed.

    It was 4:50 pm, evening time. So,7time was still in a long way, I couldn't8myself any longer and asked, "Auntie! Where are you going?"

    She looked at me and friendly said, "9 camp, dear."

    Suddenly my enthusiasm10to know the reason. I politely said. "Auntie, you are 11 someone?"

    She smiled and said, "Yes!"

    Just to continue the conversation, I talked to her in a very cheerful 12. "Auntie, you must he feeling so13to see your child and your grandchildren."

    14, this question hurt her a little but boldly (大胆地) she answered, "Oh, dear! You are so sweet! Anyway, I had only one son who was15and was killed in a battle just a few days before. I bought so many new clothes for him. So, I thought why not 16my son's clothes for some other soldiers, so that I would control my 17and would be happy thinking that my own son has18it."

    I was shocked hearing her heartbreaking story! But I19the old lady from the core of my heart, I was thinking of her20heart!