College Admissions Essay

Talya Levenson

Today was different than other days, there was something unique about it. I suppose it was the
way I felt when I moved; it was like I was fluid, not exactly moving but being pushed back and
forth, something swaying me. Perhaps it was the swift breeze that swept me along with the fallen
leaves as it howled about the earth. Today I didn't have a voice, my words were mute and hushed
as if no one could hear me. I felt like an outsider eavesdropping on the daily conversations that
happened to pass me by, a rather odd feeling. It was as if I wasn't really real or there. I didn't
know what was happening to me or where this breeze was taking me, but having no other option,
I allowed myself to be swept up in it. As the wind advanced forward, I started to wonder about
the truth and if I was real. Could anyone even see me? Everything was moving quickly, but I felt
like I was stuck in slow motion. As hard as I tried, I couldn't move faster, unless an outside force
interjected.

As acceptance of my unfamiliar environment settled in, I took in my surroundings. The images
around me began to sharpen; I saw wood-chipped benches, blossoming petunias, grinning
children eager to play, looming trees shading a pathway. Through the window I saw my former
classmates. I observed my best friend, Julia Danford, differently. Around me she shows her
quirky and clumsy side, but upon observing her through my invisibility, I got a glimpse of her
hidden grace as she painted a picture. In fact, I started to see everything around me differently.
My teacher, Mr. Smith, was actually smiling at somebody. I think the only time I've ever seen
him smile was when he handed out detention slips. The school bully, Scott Felcher, looked
lonely without his posse; maybe he had a soft spot after all. At that moment it dawned on me
what was extraordinary about today: today I was nothing but an uninhabited swing in the park,
the thin dust on a classroom window sill, but I was able to see the truth clearly for the first time.

The wind continued to dance around me, blowing at different angles, showing me different
things. It carried with it the idea that there is not only one way to view something; there is always
another perception that makes up the grand scheme. And then it dawned on me that in reality
there are three sides to every story-- my version, your version, and the truth. I want to pursue the
truth. I want to live in an honest world where people are able to see and understand the truth.

The limitations imposed on truth are individual perceptions, which distort everything. The gift of
neutral invisibility is rare; usually visions are clouded by something else. My hope is that people
can learn to make use of the truth and be able to understand each other more clearly because I
have seen what happens if they don't. Take, for example, the Middle East and its many conflicts.
How will they ever resolve their problems if they cannot consider other thoughts or views? How
will their children learn to love if they are infused with hate? These countries can use the truth as
a remedy to their biases, allowing it to show them the other elements of the story more clearly.
The "my version" and the "your version," the "he said/she said" will dissolve. Both parties can
then reach a common ground, can compromise.

Moving from a macroscopic scale to a microscopic, I have experienced the truth and used it
beneficially in my life. It can be as simple as an argument with a friend over which singer is best,
or maybe something more complex, like whether it's morally right to tell a white lie. The point
is, every perspective can be derived from the truth, but in order to really understand the truth we
must look at all sides of it.

For these reasons it is my goal to become a broadcast journalist-- to report the truth. When we
live in such an enormous world it is necessary to know the truth and I would like nothing more
than to contribute to that. I want to educate those who are uninformed so that in the long run, we
can filter and resolve worldly misconceptions. By reporting the truth, people can take a step back
and decide for themselves which way they would like to move forward. The wind blows on and
it will push me to where I am destined to go, and along the way, I will continue to open my eyes.