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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Illustrate the meaning of “All that Glitters is Not Gold” (without using the actual phrase or literal example). (01/24/08)
Paul shaded his eyes from the blazing sun as he stared out across the golden fields of wheat that stretched as far as the eye could see. It reminded him of ocean waves as it swayed gently in the hot dry Kansas breeze. Dust was blowing this afternoon making the day seem even longer and more tiring. He wiped his hand across his brow as rivers of sweat ran down his face making his eyes water. He was so hot and tired that he could almost not put one foot in front of the other, but still he plodded on. Would they ever get done, he wondered. All he wanted to do was take a shower and fall into bed. That was all he ever wanted to do after he was done working for the day. It was still several hours before sundown and they would go on until it was almost dark, as they did every day. Even on his days off he was too tired and sore to really want to do anything.

As he stood there gazing out across the shimmering golden sea of wheat his mind wandered back to his home in Illinois, which he had gladly left behind in search of adventure. The town he grew up in was one of those one-horse towns that every kid dreamed of leaving behind as soon as they were old enough. Now he longed to be back in his hometown where he could be around the people he knew and loved. He longed for some of his mother’s good home cooking and his own bed to sleep in instead of a hard bunk in a room full of other men and boys not much older than himself. Even the thought of farming a small farm appealed to him right now.

The thought of going west and helping with the harvest had been a dream of Paul’s for as long as he could remember. Growing up on a small farm in central Illinois he had always had a fascination for tractors and combines. Whenever he saw a tractor working the fields his heart began to beat faster and he knew he wanted to be a farmer one day. Helping his father plow, plant and harvest had been exciting when he was young, but that soon wore off as he got older and Paul began looking for bigger adventures.

Paul first heard about men and boys going west to help with the wheat harvest when he was seven years old. He knew right away that he wanted to go when he was old enough. But because of school and because his father needed his help on their own farm, he was unable to go. Paul resented the fact that he couldn’t follow his lifelong dream of harvesting wheat out west. He vowed that as soon as he could leave he would.

As time went on Paul became more and more restless and resentful towards his father for not allowing him to go. One day when he was especially upset he made a decision to leave and join the harvest whether his father approved or not. When the day came for him to leave, he told his father he was leaving, to join the wheat harvest with or without his blessing. His father was very disappointed of course, but because he knew how restless he had become, and that it would be a great lesson for his son, he gave his blessing to go. He warned Paul that it would be hard work and it was very hot, dry, and dusty in Kansas. Paul thought he knew what he was getting into and figured he knew more about it than his father did.

Now as Paul reflected on his father’s words he realized that his dream of going on the harvest had been exciting to him because it represented adventure and not at all what he was called to do. He realized that the reality fell far short of his expectations. He began to look forward to going home when the harvest was over, to help his father on the farm and to take over the farm someday. He had also learned a valuable lesson from this experience. Not everything was as exciting as it appeared to be.
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This article has been read 879 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
02/02/08
You did a beautiful job with the descriptions of the fields, etc.

I wasn't clear on why he was so disillusioned with the life he'd chosen. Maybe a little bit more in the last couple of paragraphs?

This was a unique approach to the topic that I enjoyed reading.
Laury Hubrich
02/02/08
Very good. I'm wondering where in Central Illinois this boy is from? I'm close to Springfield:) I liked this character. You restated some things at times. Watch this in the future. It sucks up your word count. Keep on writing!
Laury
Marilyn Klunder
02/04/08
Excellent descriptions! I think we all feel that restlessness in our young lives. It is indeed a hard lesson but one hopefully learned only once. Good writing skills. Keep writing!
Marilyn
Marlene Austin
02/07/08
Good job. Great descriptions. Would love to see more depth on the MC. :)