Became Mature From The Quake

By Long Luo

At 14:28 on May the 12th, I was studying in the fifth floor of No.2 Teaching Building on my campus in Chengdu. Suddenly I felt that the desk was swaying, the first idea came to my mind was that who was shaking my desk. I swept then found that all the schoolmates there were also confused. Then I realized that it was earthquake. I ran towards the emergency staircase and tried to escape as quickly as possible. The staircase was full of students, which seemed too long. Finally, we got outside, only finding many students on the roads, lawns, the squares, streets, all stunned.

At that night, I slept on the playground starring at the dark sky. I heard of terrifying news on the radio that a magnitude 7.8 earthquake attacked Wenchuan. Calling to mind of the day, I was so fortunate but scared.

Firstly, I was lack of the sense of emergency escape. When facing danger, it is not right to follow the instinct but to stay calm. To rush out of the building doesn’t make sense if the earthquake was too fierce for the building may be collapsed at the moment. The best way is to find somewhere safe to stay.

Secondly, what does one indeed need in life? A healthy body and a family is enough. In our life, we rarely have such a chance to face the death. I regretted that I hadn’t cherished the time with family members, but often quarreling with them. I realized that I loved them so deeply that I didn’t want to lose anyone of them. I couldn’t imagine one day when they have to leave. I will certainly cherish my family, friends, everyone who loves me and I love.

On May 14th, I carried the relief materials at a station as a volunteer. I know I should do something to comfort them. so many people lost their lives because of the terrible disaster, who may be the youngsters like us, the parents, the sisters, the brothers…Everyone had his own stories, had his bright future, especially for the children. They had no chance to enjoy the beautiful world again. They might have become excellent scientists, soldiers, policemen, doctors, teachers… However, the dreams fall to pieces forever.

I have heard a survivor saying on TV soon after she was rescued. “The moon is so round tonight!” The words impressed me a lot. I used to be with the trees, lawns, buildings, schoolmates and everything when I walked on the campus, which we considered too ordinary before.

Now I believe that it is of greatest happiness to enjoy an ordinary life.

By Long Luo at 6th, July, 2008, @Chengdu, Sichuan, China.