Legacy

Every person who climbs Everest is part of a legacy of greatness. These climbers do what they love while making history everyday. Just the same, every prominent writer is part of a legacy of influence. Writers do what they love while inspiring others with their perceptive words all of the time. Ever since second grade, my personal Everest has been to be an influential poet and lyricist. I love how poems and lyrics express emotion and send important messages, so I hope that my own work will be able to change those who read it in some way. Nevertheless, just like climbing a mountain, the path to being an inspirational writer is not quick and easy. Obstacles will stand in my way that I must work hard to overcome. To successfully follow in the footsteps of the greats who came before me, I must work hard to develop my abilities, overcome obstacles, and find a way to connect to readers through my words.

All climbers who attempt Everest must work extremely hard to make it back alive, just as I must do if I want to be a better writer. First, I need to take responsibility in making time to improve my skills. When I find weaknesses in my writing, I must be persistent in strengthening them so that my work can be well rounded. For Everest climbers, one little weakness or lack of experience can lead to terrible, and even fatal, consequences. Being diligent about making my poems and lyrics as good as they can be will prepare me for the rest of my ascent and whatever lies ahead.

No matter how well I prepare myself for the struggles that will stand in my way, I cannot avoid them. As Jon Krakauer said in his book Into Thin Air, “climbing mountains will never be a safe, predictable, rule-bound enterprise.” The first challenge I will face will simply be making time to write. When my life becomes hectic, I must prioritize my time, not forgetting the effort required to improve. In addition, I will have to face the fear of having my work rejected. If this happens, I need to remain confident in myself and learn from whatever criticism I receive. The largest obstacle I will face is competition. Not every writer can have a stronger voice above the rest, which is why I must work exceptionally hard to be original in all of my poems and lyrics. The Everest climbers of whom stories are told and glorification is given are the ones who rose to the occasion when trouble befell them. When obstacles stand in my way I need to rise above them as well and never give up, following in the path of writing legacies.

Through hard work and overcoming obstacles I will be able to summit my personal Everest, but that still will not fill the entirety of my dream. As Jon Krakauer noted in Into Thin Air, “Reaching the top of Everest is supposed to trigger a surge of intense elation; against all odds, after all, I had just attained a goal I'd coveted since childhood. But the summit was really only the halfway point.” If I become a published and distinguished writer, I will still need to affect people in some way for my dream to be complete. This is because I have always found poetry and lyrics to be an inspiration, motivation, and beautiful insight to the world around me. I want to write in such a way that readers will be moved, see through different eyes, or want to be better in some way. If I can successfully climb the mountain of being a writer and change people with what I have to say, then I will be even close to becoming part of an influential legacy that I have long revered.

Just like Jon Krakauer, I have wanted to climb my Everest since childhood. I have always wanted to write poetry and lyrics that would influence the lives of people who read them, a skill I can learn to do through hard work and the strength to overcome challenges. Though my ascent will be full of struggles, I have something powerful to keep me going. The legacy of Everest gives me the motivation to fulfill my dream. The legacy of renowned writers gives me the hope to change lives. My Everest speaks to me, telling me I can fulfill my dreams and I can change lives. All of the greats before me had their chances, now it is my turn. Now it is my time to fulfill a part of the legacy.