Week 2 Story: Turtle & Goose and Past & Present

Turtle & Goose and Past & Present 

(Please Note: Current version of story in Portfolio.)

Turtle and Goose attend the same school and graduation was quickly approaching. Like most of their friends, they were feeling the blend of excitement and nervousness. After four years in school, they were ready and excited for new experiences. However, nervousness always arose when they thought about the new challenges and uncertainties of the future.

Finally, it was graduation day. All clean, with caps on their head Turtle and Goose entered the Maturing Forest for graduation.

Turtle turned to Goose and panicked saying, "Goose! I can't do this. I'm doing okay in college. It's comfortable to me. Plus, I know so many animals and they know me."

Goose looked Turtle in the eyes and said, "Turtle. We can do this. YOU can do this. I'm scared too. But I was taught by Sister Goose that the hardest part is crossing the graduation stage with the our head looking forward and held high. After that, we gain confidence in ourselves for the next part of our lives."

"What do you mean the hardest part is crossing the stage with our head forward and high, Goose?" said Turtle.

Goose replied saying, "Sister Goose said that no matter what we CANNOT look back as we cross the stage."

Turtle nodded in agreement which showed Goose he understood and would follow.

Then, with Turtle's foot and Goose's hand linked together, they crossed the stage. As they were crossing, voices arose saying, "Work is hard. Your not going to be successful. You peaked in school and it's downhill from here. No one is going to appreciate you like they did in school."

Turtle looked back to find these voices and dismiss it! But as he did this, he got sucked into the Portal of the Past. Now, he is stuck there forever with no more opportunity for growth.

The other animals said, "It is unfortunate that Turtle looked back. The voices were in our own heads because sometimes we can become our biggest critic. Turtle had all the capabilities to be successful. In his mind, Turtle got stuck in the past, and now his physical body too is also stuck in the past."

(Image representing the graduation event Turtle and Goose are attending.)

Author's Notes:

• Bibliography. "The Turtle and the Geese" from Two Turtle Jatakas from the version in Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. Web Source.
• I have chosen to add my own twist to the original story. I have added additional lessons to the theme of the story, as well as I have changed the plot and setting. 
• As graduation is approaching for me this coming May, I wanted to remind my present self and future self about not being stuck in the past, but, rather, to embrace the future.
• I really enjoyed the lesson in the original story about how people will have foresight and recommend you do a certain thing for your own good. However, sometimes we don't listen to those people which can cause us harm.
• In addition to original lesson, I also wanted to show the lesson of not being stuck in the past or else it will hinder your growth that should be occurring in the present. I know that I personally wasted the first half of my first semester of college because I kept thinking and telling myself that I peaked in high school. (I'm so glad that I got over that!) As I am about to graduate college, I don't want the next part of my life to continuously be thinking about college. Yes, there are many fond memories and it is good to reflect on them. However, wishing I would time travel and be back in college is something completely different.
• Lastly, I wanted to add a hint of another lesson that sometimes we are our biggest critic but we have to crush those negative thoughts for our own good. In the original story, the critics were the village children, or something that is external. While critics can be external, they can also be internal which I wanted to show in this story.
• Overall, this was very fun to write. Creative writing hasn't been something I have done since high school and it was interesting to create story while formulating a lesson.