Helen Keller who has had a significant influence on me - Essay Example

Mom, dad, I can’t see you! I can’t hear you!’ what’s happening to me? Meet Helen Keller, the famous deaf and blind American activist and lecturer. When I first came to the United States, things did not go so smoothly for me. Like Helen Keller, I was lost in this “strange” land and the language barrier prevented me from communicating with other people effectively. ‘Annie Sullivan, Could you please help me?’ I asked. ‘I shall teach you a very important word,’ says Annie Sullivan. ‘Water!’ Back in China, when I was in kindergarten, I won a contest.

I do not quite remember what the contest was, but my prize was a book--a picture book in fact. The front cover had the bold title “Helen Keller” on it. That night I asked my mother to read the story for me. To this very day, I can still remember how Keller struggled to find a way to overcome her disabilities. Her perseverance and passion truly touched me. I never thought that after another five years since kindergarten, I would be here in the United States, Helen Keller’s homeland. The first sight of the blue, cloudless sky was exhilarating.

I am lucky, I thought to myself. This is the land of freedom and opportunity. However, I had not expected the difficulties that were lying ahead of me. ‘Water! What is water?’ I wanted to know. Then Sullivan lets the so called “water” flow freely over Helen’s hand from a pipe. ‘Oh! Helen seems to guess what it is,’ Sullivan thought. What a major breakthrough? My years in elementary and middle school were not so much enjoyable. I often had to take out my pocket-sized dictionary to grasp the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Then people often made fun out of me. It was like trying to walk blindly in the dark. My parents on the other hand were very busy trying to make a living while I had to endure the harsh reality on my own. When people talked, I could not understand what they were saying. When I needed something, I could not open my mouth to ask simply because I did not know any English. ‘Ms. Helen, I have finally mastered the names of all the familiar objects in my world! I’m so happy for you Helen,’ thought Sullivan.

Periodically, I borrowed short stories and interesting fictions to read so that I could improve my English skills. During that time, I could barely read a single page without spending more than ten minutes on it, trying to figure out each word I did not understand. I knew it would be extremely tedious to finish all the books, but in order to be successful, I had to master all these English phrases and words. Whenever I got bored and lost inspiration, I thought of Helen Keller and how she overcame her difficulties.

I would keep going, no matter what it took to finish the book I would be reading. ‘Thank you Ms. Sullivan! How else could I have ever got through the obstacles without your help?’ Sullivan smiled. ‘Because I want you to succeed’, she reflected. Seven years have passed since my journey to the U.S. Currently, I am enrolled at Stuyvesant High School, one of the most prestigious high schools in the United States. I am grateful that the individual who has had the single highest degree of influence on me is Helen Keller.

I realize that I could never be where I am today had it not been for her inspirations. I will always respect the influence that she has had on my life and will endeavor to take all that she has motivated me with in the pursuit of my own dreams.