Growing From Mistakes

Selected responses from an assignment given to my students:

THE ASSIGNMENT:  Write a well-constructed paragraph (at least 6 sentences long) describing the very worst idea you have ever had.  Tell in at least two sentences if any good came out of this mistake.

The very worst idea I ever had was me and my friends decided to do some flips off his shed roof.  On to a big trampoline.  And we all busted our a**.  And that was the worst idea.

When I lied to my mom about going somewhere.  And really went to my girlfriend’s house and got chased by her father.

The worst idea I ever had was cutting school.  It was a bad idea cause my mom found out.  I was grounded for 2 months.  There was no good that came out of this.

I had many bad ideas but the worst one was when I tried to sneak out of my house with my sisters.  My sisters took me to a teen club but then when we tried to sneak back in my mom was standing right in front of the window.  No good came out of this because we all got yelled at and grounded.

Eating powder was the worst idea I ever came up with because it sort of made me sick.  It wasn’t very nice.  I was throwing up all night.  Me and my friend couldn’t eat anything in the morning.  Through it all no good came out of it.  Her parents had to call my mom and I had to stay in bed for the whole weekend.  Plus, I couldn’t see her for a month and I got in so much trouble.

The very worst idea that I ever had was on my friends birthday.  I left her party when I wasn’t supposed to and my parents didn’t know where I was.  I got into a LOT of trouble.  I had a lot of time to think  about what I did when I got grounded for 2 months.  But I learned that nothing good is going to come out of me getting in trouble.  But I know not to do that again.

The most stupid thing I ever did was trying to ride a bike off of a dugout and land it.  It didn’t work as planned.  I hit the ground and the front tire fell off.  It went rolling past everyone.  I thought that I was dead.

The worst idea that I’ve ever had was just two days ago when I tried to catch the door before my friend closed it.  This did not end up to good because I land on the ground with a blood dripping broken head.

The very worst idea I ever had was trying to commit suiside.  I got mad one time when my dad yelled at my mom.  I coused him out, and then threw a punch at him.  The reason I tried to do that was because my mom yelled at me.  I was in the hospital because I took 15 pills.  But something good came out of it.  That’s that I know I’m not going to do that again in my life.

Well I was trying to have fun one day with my brother and some friends so we saw a boat in a lake.  So we got some paddles.  We stole it and we went out and 2 fat kids stayed on the same side and it tipped.  We we had to go tet it back in the lake.  We got the cops called on us.  I don’t want the cops to arrest me again.

When I told my teacher to call the assistant principal on the last day before Christmas break and missed the basketball game.  I got ISS for the rest of the day.  I wasted my 3 dollars.  I didn’t even get to talk in ISS.  My teacher is no one to play around with.

My worst idea was goin to tha club w/out my parents knowing.  My dad came and he saw me there.  I got in big trouble.  I am now grounded for 2 months and I don’t have my dad’s trust.  But the good that came out if it was I got to dance wit this one boy.  He is so fine!!!

When I shot a car wit a paintball gun an the next day I almost got in trouble cause he thought I did it which I did.

The worst idea I ever had was when I was in Peru.I went to the city alone.  I knew that a lot of people got jumped there but I didn’t care.  I needed to get to a pay phone to call my mom that was in the US.  While I was walking I got robbed.  The good thing is I didn’t get badly injured.  Another good thing was I never went to the city alone again.

One of my mistakes was when I was trying to brake up this fight.  My friend was fighting this boy so I broke it up and he hit me and then my friend jump back in and started fighting and she won.  Then he told everyone me my friend and my friend jumped him.  So he liked cuz he lost to my friend.  I learned enver to get into something that is not mine.  And to let them do whatever.

And my personal favorite………..

My worst idea was to shoot my brother with a BB gun. I shot him and he got mad and he hit me. So I got in trouble. My brother was lafing at me. And I shot him one more time.