Limitless Potential

 Disability is an inability to see ability’ - Vikas Khanna 

Aimee Mullins is an athlete, actress, and public speaker who was born on 20th July 1975 with a medical condition that resulted in the amputation of both of her lower legs. But after going under the knife, is alive and kicking. Believe it or not, she participated in the paralympic in 1996, RUNNING!   

Ms. Mullins was told to use a wheelchair for the rest of her life but after years of persevering and practicing how to balance, she finally learned to walk with prosthetic legs and looks stunning in them too! People who don't know Aimee’s story may not even consider her disabled because she doesn't look disabled. She boasts of a collection of different heights of legs. Many of us may call her lucky as she can change her height whenever she pleases.

To continue with her success story, in 1999, Aimee began modeling and acting in 2002. Her TEDx talks have inspired many differently-abled women and men across the globe. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2017. On May 4, 2018, Ms. Mullins received an honorary degree and gave the commencement address at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

Aimee Mullins couldn't have ever been where she is today if it weren't for her bravery or her positive mindset. So let us not be afraid to push our limits and aim for the best. If there is anything, I have learned from Aimee Mullins, it is that hard work is the key to success. 

Resplendent me 😃

Each year, when I graduate from another class and get a new teacher, they always ask me to write a paragraph about myself so that they can get to know me better. But each year the same problem persists, what am I supposed to write? I AM ME! It is very easy for the third person to describe you but describing yourself is the hardest, but I am going to try my best. 

Hi, my name is Anoushka Misra and I am a student of Step by Step School. I am still in Grade VIII but going to IX in another month. I have a family of four and live with my grandparents. I am the older sibling to my little evil mastermind brother who leaves no chance to trouble me in any way possible. Besides watching the Idiot box whenever it is possible, I also love baking and playing the piano. 

I started my blog ‘Effervescence’ three months ago and till now I have uploaded five pieces. All of them are very diverse. Till now, my favorite blog to write on was my mischievous brother. My teacher first presented to me the idea of writing blogs, I wasn't too sure how I would like it but now, I am grateful to her. My goal is to upload at least 2 blogs each month. That means by the end of the year, I will have no less than 24 blogs uploaded. Isn't that a great feat for a ninth-grader?

Howdy Summer?

Hello summer, how do you feel sandwiched between spring and autumn? 

I actually don't know how I feel about you yet I know it gets disgustingly hot as sometimes your scorching sun may put the entire city ablaze as you did in the Amazon and Californian forest. Some people are fortunate enough to reside in air-conditioned homes to cope with that while others bear the brunt of extreme temperatures. The worst part is that playing outside in the 40-degree heat is like lighting yourself on fire, which is obviously not fun at all! 

However, summer has its own perks. Long vacation from school is so tempting - the ice creams, the swimming, the friends and the other good things. Do we not wait for this annual treat? My favorite place to visit in summer is the beach. I just love swimming against the tides. Besides the cool water calming my senses, I also indulge in adventure sports like motorboat rides and kayaking. Who doesn't? And behold -  the choice of wardrobe - limitless. I have twice as many clothes for summer as winter.

Moreover, summer holidays always feel like a passing fancy. My heart saddens on the last day of my summer vacations as I cannot continue having fun on the beach with my friends. It is my favorite season as I always feel on cloud nine until I have to say bye-bye to summer.

It's never too late

 “I knew people were talking, but I wasn't listening. I wasn't interested in anything anyone had to say.” - Anonymous

What gets us interested? 

Interests vary from person to person. For example, Ishita Katyal and Sparsh Shah had different interests in their respective lives. They are both TEDx speakers with totally different perspectives on life. Ishita likes to write whereas Sparsh likes to sing; they are unique in their own way. Nothing stopped them from giving up on their dreams. People take to different areas of interest according to their liking and choices. 

One of my interests, baking has enticed me so much that I may eventually become a baker. My brother's interest is in playing golf that may make him a professional golfer. But if one does not have any inclination to playing golf, then it would be a long shot at the game. 

If we don't get bored then aren't we engrossed in that particular activity? Interest sustains more when we practice consistently and upgrade our skills without feeling disinterested. For example, one chocolate cake recipe even though made over fifty times cannot make us dull and not want the cake. 

Having a keen interest in something can result in creating a hobby out of it. Hobbies give us an opportunity to enhance our life. They also let us relax and seek pleasure in activities that aren't associated with work, chores, or other responsibilities. Life is long and interests are short. The ones who revel in his or her passion for the longest creates a meaningful life. Are you the one?! 

My cool bro😎

“Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet.” 

Siblings are just born to disturb you. My brother can be mean sometimes but also caring most of the time. He is very supportive too. Sometimes when I feel ugly, I just look at my brother, and then I feel ok. Jokes aside, I don't know what I would have done without my brother. Life would have been so boring. There would have been no one to play with and tease. My favorite method to tease is whenever we are eating his favorite thing in the world, I would eat it slower than him so when he is done, I would show him I still have it.

Younger siblings can be annoying most of the time but, (I'm kidding there is no but. they are just super annoying.) The people who have sisters wish they had a brother, the people who have brothers wished they had a sister. I feel having a younger brother is the most annoying combination for a girl. :)

Sometimes when Aditya hits me and I hit him back, he goes running to my grandparents (coz he knows my parents wouldn't want to get involved) and they always question why I hit him, I always reply that he hit me first then they say he is younger you have to set a good example for him. It is soooo annoying. But on his birthdays, I never actually get him a materialistic gift because I always give him an intangible one, I tell him that being related to me is really the only gift he needs.  

When Aditya was younger and we would get in a fight, I would always win because I was way stronger. Now that he is growing he is getting stronger, and harder to beat, I am dreading the day when he finally wins (thankfully it hasn't come yet). Don't even get me started in how much he copies me. So, in conclusion, having a sibling is much better than having no sibling as a brother shares your childhood memories and grown-up dreams.