Dec. 24, 2010: Belief and attitude: Can you hear the bell? by Kirstyn Dvorak
Have you ever noticed how some people just don’t believe? They have no faith that things can turn right around. But if you don’t believe in what they can’t see, then how can you dream? How can you peer into the future and imagine what you will be doing in 10 or 20 years.
To succeed, you have to believe in something bigger than yourself.
In the movie “Polar Express,” the main character, a little boy, does not believe in Santa Claus at the beginning of the story. When he boards the Polar Express, he is still doubtful and he doesn’t believe until he sees real magic. The boy is chosen to receive the first Christmas gift of the year and he chooses a bell that has fallen off of one of the reindeer’s harnesses. On the way home he discovers he has a hole in his pocket and has lost the bell. When he wakes up he dismisses the whole night as a dream — until he finds one last box addressed to him under the Christmas tree. In the box are the bell and a note from “Mr. C.” Then he discovers that his parents cannot hear the bell and eventually neither can his little sister. It can only be heard by true believers.
That bell is like faith. When you lose your faith, you can no longer hear the bell.
One thing that is just as powerful as faith is a good attitude. Many people go throughout the day with such a bad attitude that nobody wants to be around them.
For instance, our eighth-grade girls volleyball A team went into most of their games with an “I don’t care” attitude. The girls won most of their games but there were many close matches because they looked like zombies standing out on the court. On the other hand, our eighth-grade girls volleyball B team went out there full of spirit with our chins held high and we never lost a match.
Some people don’t realize how much a negative attitude affects their lives. If you go out onto the court or field with a bad attitude, you might as well not be there because you will play badly and it will affect your team. Or, if you go to take a test and are sure you will fail, you’ll probably prove yourself right. If you don’t think you can pass, then you won’t.
When you read this I hope it reminds you that if you believe and have a good attitude you will live a much happier life. I hope everyone who reads this can hear the bell.
— Kirstyn Dvorak is an eighth-grader at Concordia Junior High School. She is the daughter of Sharon Klima and Heath Dvorak.