"The Flight of Choice"

    It's staggering if you think about it. We, having evolved leaps and bounds from our naive predecessors, often shun the ideas of predestination and its outrageous notions. Luckily, this is a moderate age in which such absurdity is rarely thought. We live by choice. The individual who is determined and hardworking can realize any dream, be in charge of their own destiny. My story is no different. "Destined" to a life of adversity, one moment changed everything.

    The first thing I remember is lights, thousands of lights. I was mesmerized. The entire night sky had been lit up, and never before had I seen a greater spectacle. Under the hypnotic trance of the illumination of what I thought was solely a pitch-black sky, I stood, marveled.

    "What's that down there?" I asked, thirsty for knowledge.
    "It's Boston." Responded my mother.
    "A Boston ... what in the world is a Boston?" I genuinely wondered, still fixated on the phenomenon."
    "It's not a thing. It's a place; and we're almost there."

    She continued to speak, but I was drawn away, pulled by the spellbinding magnetism of the lights. By now they had become brighter, exuding an indescribable glow, a striking sight to behold. As they continually increased in size, I began to make out shapes: cars, buildings, and possibly some water. Enchantment filled the air. Here I was, seeing a miniature metropolis, a world of fantasy and toys whose operation ran solely on the fuel of magic. Then, it got eerily quiet around me; the kind of silence found only in the uncharted depths of space. I was scared.

    Without warning, like the prey of a voiceless owl thrusting itself forward, the silence was devoured, eradicated by the howling of a collective outburst. The disorientation spurred by this schizoid behavior plagued my thoughts. Am I going crazy? This must be a dream (it would certainly explain the majestic sights!). Still, the diametrically opposed actions, which, all but I seemed to comprehend continued. I, alone, heard such phrases as: "Ya llegamos! [Spanish for: we've arrived] and "Por fin!" [finally!].

    The confusion was unbearable. I had to escape. I flung back to the only source of tranquility I could remember- the lights. In an instant terror ran through my entire body. During that puzzling interlude, I had looked away. Now my lights had vanished- the night sky restored to its profound gloom. The world was coming to an end.

    I remember walking endlessly through a mazelike passage, and feeling an odd sensation. I, the unsuspecting mouse being led to doom, was attacked by an invisible assailant. I began to shake and my teeth took on a life of their own. Without any effort of mine, they started to "clatter" uncontrollably. At first I embraced the experience, but once the horrific discovery that I did not have absolute control over my body's mannerisms settled in, an overwhelming sense of helplessness officiated. Could there be such a criminal, whose cold, unmerciful heart left no room for sympathy? I panicked. When I expressed these sentiments to my mother, a blanket was draped over my trembling body. For the first time since the lights I felt secure. The physical and emotional warmth that I ensued brought much needed comfort, easing all previous pains. I felt at home.

    In time, I was able to pinpoint the exact date of this event's occurrence: December 19, 1989. As I came to learn later, on that date I flew from my tropical, impoverished homeland in the Dominican Republic to the wintry, bustling city of Boston, Massachusetts. Being just three years of age, I could never have anticipated the surreal feeling of viewing a city from thirty thousand feet in the air, or sensing the dramatic effects of a change in climate. I needed to adapt. In time, I would come to accept the culture, language, and yes, weather that America had to offer. The course of my life changed significantly on that memorable day. It was the defining moment which all experience, shaping one's life for years to come.

    Despite the boundless benefits to come, the anguish of that night was unbearable. Who were my parents to drastically alter my destiny without my three-year-old consent? How dare they take advantage of my inability to speak my mind! This was my future, too! And to think, there was nothing I could do to stop them, steadfast in their pursuit to improve the quality of my life.