Describe a circumstance, obstacle or conflict in your life, and the skills and resources you used to resolve it. Did it change you? If so, how?
When I was fifteen I started to work at my family's pet store. I had this unnatural attraction to the reptiles ever since I was very young. So naturally I struck up a friendship with the current reptile manager, Frankie. For a while I thought he was great. We got along wonderfully and we would hang out almost every week. However I began to notice that his care of the reptiles was completely reckless, unstructured, and detrimental to their health. His knowledge on reptiles was utterly wrong or over exaggerated in order to accentuate his reputation. So I learned the care and started to do a feeding here or a cleaning there until eventually, I ran the entire section within a year
This, I thought, put no strain onto our friendship. He was always busy going out back to talk to customers, or so I thought, and I was picking up his "slack". Eventually I took more risks. I brought in more large, powerful reptiles; venomous, aggressive tarantulas; rare, difficult amphibians; I'd have feeding demonstrations using only my bare hands to show reptile docility in captivity. Most of the risks I took payed off, bringing loads of customers to the store. Customers started to notice that my info was correct and that reptiles weren't as menacing as once thought. My passion was showing through and I was known as the reptile expert.
One day I heard something very difficult for me to swallow. Frankie was telling every customer that I was learning from him, I had no idea what I was talking about and that he was running not only the reptile section, but the entire store. I pushed his blatant lies aside and continued studying the animals which I loved, making that section the most amazing and well kept section in the entire store.
I knew he had to be stopped however, but how? I cant go around accusing Frankie of lying and hope that he admits. I cant go out and yell at him either, knowing that would solve absolutely nothing. So I finally decided to outsmart him with pure knowledge. Every customer that came in, I would talk to. Do nothing but talk. They would start to ask me about each reptile and I would recite the exact care, scientific name, and attitude of every specific reptile. When Frankie slipped up on information on an animal, I'd correct him in the nicest way possible. When he refused to budge on information I'd asked if we'd want to go look it up. Not wanting to instill doubt in the customer he agreed, to which he would be proven wrong. When a customer came back with a sick reptile sold with information from Frankie I was the one who stepped in and relieved the situation. Although not my fault I would take the blame saying it was my section and its my fault that proper information was not given to the customer. Frankie would try to undermine me over and over but I would not let him. I stood strong; High and above his lies.
Frankie was eventually fired for dealing drugs in our parking lot. This came to no surprise to me. His constant "meetings" with customers in the back of the store raised suspicion. Frankie was a bad man, and I am glad that I chose to come out above him in any way possible. He did however change me. By being as malicious as he was I found my true calling for reptiles and that I am strong as long as I have knowledge to back me up. By being the way he was he made me the best that I could possibly be, and the type of person that I want to be. One who comes out on top not via yelling, or force, but with wisdom. For that I thank him.
Please any thoughts are welcome. I want this to be the best possible essay.
I really enjoyed your essay. I loved the flow of the story and the surprise of the "drug dealing". The only critique I can offer is to reinforce the type of person you become from the incident. More honest, caring, knowledgeable or how your true morals and values led your desire to improve the quality of care for the reptiles and customers. That should be more of why you did what you did than to prove him wrong. Dig deep and add some of your emotions. Good luck!
Hi. It's simple yet very enlightening. Just don't call Frankie a bad man. Instead of being outright use some other word.
Also, instead of "This came to no surprise to me." Replace it with "This came as no surprise to me."
It's great. Best of luck.
Be sure to go through my essay. Your feedback means a lot to me
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However I began to notice that his care offor the reptiles was completely reckless,
His knowledge on reptiles was utterly wrongvery limited andor over exaggerated in order to accentuateprotect his reputation.
I feel you should have said this as your personal feeling;
I soon found that he did possess very limited knowledge about reptiles although he over exaggerated about it, merely in hope of safeguarding his reputation.
