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Lessons on Commitment from High School

The author recounts an experience from high school that taught him the importance of keeping commitments. After being cast in both a school musical and a local theater production, he struggled to manage both and ultimately decided to drop out of the school show, feeling guilty about letting his director down. This experience instilled in him valuable lessons about responsibility and facing uncomfortable situations.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
4 views1 page

Lessons on Commitment from High School

The author recounts an experience from high school that taught him the importance of keeping commitments. After being cast in both a school musical and a local theater production, he struggled to manage both and ultimately decided to drop out of the school show, feeling guilty about letting his director down. This experience instilled in him valuable lessons about responsibility and facing uncomfortable situations.
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Anthony Buonagurio

Professor D’Alto

Art & Craft of Writing Spring

26 January 2025

​ An awkward experience that I had in high school taught me to keep my commitments.

This happened to me when I was a freshman at St. Anthony's High School. I was a new student

at the school and I was excited to get involved in the theater department.

I auditioned to be in the spring musical and I got a part. After I made a commitment to

the school show, a local theater was putting on a production of my favorite show SpongeBob

SquarePants The Musical. I decided to audition, for the experience, thinking I wouldn’t get a

part. To my surprise I got cast in the show. I thought I could do both shows but I became quickly

overwhelmed. I decided I was going to drop out of my school show. I tried to put off speaking to

my director for as long as I could because I felt awkward. Eventually I had to go speak to him. I

thought he was going to be very upset, but instead he was kind and understating, and I really felt

like I let him down.

I look back at this experience now and I am thankful that it happened. It taught me the

importance of keeping my commitments even if something better comes up. It also taught me the

importance of being responsible and not avoiding something just because it makes me feel

uncomfortable. I am a better person because of this life experience I had. If I could go back and

change what happened I wouldn’t because the lessons learned were more valuable than I could

have thought.

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If the author had avoided speaking to the director, they may have experienced increased guilt and anxiety, potentially leading to greater conflict or resentment. The lack of communication could have resulted in a negative outcome, depriving the author of the valuable lessons learned about responsibility and integrity .

The director exhibited understanding and compassion, key leadership qualities that helped mitigate the situation and allowed the author to reflect positively on the experience. Rather than reacting with anger or disappointment, the director's supportive approach demonstrated empathy and the ability to nurture personal growth in students .

The author's experience highlights how overcommitting can lead to stress and conflicts. This case can teach others the importance of evaluating commitments carefully and the significance of time management. Strategies include setting priorities, being realistic about one's capacity, and communicating transparently to avoid overburdening oneself, ensuring commitments are met without compromising personal well-being .

The author's reflection illustrates 'growth through adversity' as they acknowledge the awkward and challenging nature of the experience but appreciate the lessons learned, such as maintaining commitments and confronting discomfort, which contributed to their maturation and self-improvement .

While initially tempted by the local theater opportunity, the author eventually justified the importance of honoring commitments through experiencing firsthand the value of reliability and responsibility, even realizing that the growth achieved was more valuable than any immediate gratification the other production could offer .

The author learned the importance of keeping commitments, even when tempting alternatives arise, and being responsible and facing uncomfortable situations head-on rather than avoiding them .

The experience taught the author invaluable lessons about commitment, responsibility, and confronting uncomfortable situations. Despite the initial awkwardness, these lessons contributed positively to the author's personal growth, leading them to become more accountable and resilient .

Initially, the author tried to avoid confronting the situation by delaying speaking to the school director. Eventually, they decided to speak to the director about dropping out of the school show, despite feeling awkward. The director was understanding, which made the author feel as though they had let him down .

The author initially auditioned for the local theater production for the experience, assuming they wouldn't be cast. However, being cast led to an overwhelming situation where they struggled to balance commitments to both the local theater and their school musical, resulting in a significant lesson about managing commitments .

The author felt awkward and anticipated the director's disappointment, which made the decision emotionally challenging. They struggled with the guilt of potentially letting the director down, which compounded the difficulty of speaking with him about dropping out .

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