Two years ago when I was stuck in the bustling streets of India with my mother in the scalding heat, I sought refuge in an air-conditioned sari shop. I sat down to read the short story which would forever be reverberating in my head: “The Story of the Pencil,” by Paulo Coelho. Pencils, Coelho claims, “have five qualities which, if you manage to hang on to…will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.” How is that possible? After all, it’s just a pencil.
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'A Pencil: College Admission Essay Sample'
A pencil is capable of great things but one must never forget that there is a hand guiding it. I am grateful for having such a caring family. My parents have been my mentors, guiding me and supporting me throughout every aspect of my life.
A pencil needs to be sharpened from time to time; in this period it will suffer. However, after being sharpened, its nib will be a lot sharper. Similarly, in my life I have had bad experiences. I have learned that being able to bounce back from some of my mistakes or misfortunes -- for example, the loss of my grand-father -- has made me the strong and optimistic person I am today.
A pencil comes with an eraser that allows us to rub out our mistakes. When I play the piano and make a mistake, I start over and try to correct my mistake. After correcting my mistake, I practice in order to ensure I don’t make the same mistake again.
A pencil always leaves a mark. My mother has always warned me to think before I speak because the things that I say may have an impact on others.
A pencil’s interior (the graphite) is more important than its wooden exterior. I learned this lesson on my recent trip to Cambodia. At first, I let the differences between my own cultures and that of the villagers stop me from interacting as I normally would with people. However, after figuring out how to adjust, we all managed to overcome our differences, and I wound up making some new friends for life.
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This simple, yet profound story really surprised me and has taught me to appreciate all the little things in life that one normally takes for granted. As a result, a pencil is a constant reminder for the values that, today, I try my best to remember and act upon. Being a student, I am constantly surrounded by pencils and therefore will always try my best to be at peace with the world.
