Personal Narrative: All The Single Ladies

While rummaging through an old box of home videos, I come across one with a blank title. Out of curiosity, I pop it into my VCR player to see what this mysterious tape holds. As the blue screen turns to color, in the middle of the screen, a pink CD player pumps out Beyonce’s voice. My parents’ amateur camera-work pans up and my best friend Kendall and I dance to one of her latest hits, “All the Single Ladies”. As I try to keep up with Kendall’s quick moves, she laughs at my 8 year old attempt at swaying my hips. My little brother cheers on Kendall, who’s moves seemed more like a 16 year old hip-hop dancer.

As I think back on that summer night, I remember Kendall and I as just two innocent girls dancing their young hearts out. Unfortunately this bliss wouldn’t last for long. A year later Kendall had moved to attend a local private school. We both made new friends and experienced the whirlwind that was middle school on our own. But out of nowhere,one afternoon she messaged me asking to come over and catch up. The evening started off with jokes, dancing, and backyard adventures like we were eight years old again. Laying in bed she told me about her new friends, teachers, and boys. We stayed up late talking until we could barely get out another thought. Though we had spent all day sharing our new worlds, I didn’t
Intelligence isn’t just absorbing the actions or words of others in textbooks, movies or even real life. Intelligence, as I’ve come to find, is being present and drawing my own conclusions. As my journey through this world continues, I will encounter countless situations that ask me to give up my values or give in to someone else. Ultimately I was forced to protect my morals with all my strength and forced to see critically what I wanted in the long run. That night taught me that I didn’t need anyone next to me, because I could find power from