My L ife is L ike the S port of R owing In a lot of ways my life is like the sports of rowing. The shore is like m past. Once l have gotten in that boat and launched off for my race, there is no looking back. And there are no regrets and no disappointment. I have disappointment. I have to just keep rowing. The water is comparable to the problems. I face in life. Some days, the water will be smooth and there will be hardly any waves at all, while other day’s I’ll take efforts to get past waves, that could potentially flip my boat. The boat is like my perspective. I can only do in the boat what I have learned; similarly, I can only base my opinions on the experiences I’ve had. Though my boat will sometimes be unbalanced, I’ll make the best of the situation I’ve been placed in and learn from it. The oars (桨) can be related to my will and drive to succeed. Though there are times the oars will rip my hands open, leaving them in so much pain that I feel I cannot go on, I know my hands will heal, and I’ll have become more conditioned because of it. I know the harder I pull on the oars, and the greater endurance I build from doing so, the more likely I’ll obtain the outcome I am working toward. My teammates can be related to my family and friends. Sometimes the race will get hard. My body will ache, my throat will be sore, and I will feel like quitting. However, I know that I have eight other people in the boat counting on me, and will not let myself down. The coxswain (舵手) is much like my morals and values. When rowing, I cannot see the racecourse, so I must rely on the coxswain to guide me. Although there will be times she won’t know what’s around a corner, she must use her best judgment to get boat to the end. The finish line is most similar to my goals and dreams. Although my goal during a race is to be the first to cross the finish line, my goals in life are much more than that. I realize that I have a long way to go before I reach my “finish line.” When one goal is reached, I create another one to work toward. Overall, the most important lesson I’ve learned through rowing about life is that life is what I make it. I can choose to be angry and wallow in self-pity or I learn from my mistakes. I will always work toward being the best person I can and take constantly the opportunities I’m offered to learn and grow. I am a rower.