Song Analysis Sample: Past and Present Create My Future

In a song written by Kelly Clarkson the lyrics say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”(stronger what doesn’t). I have had to let many experiences in my life make me stronger instead of letting them get me down. Even though I am thirteen my life has had many different challenges some of which have led me to be braver, a better athlete, and optimistic for the future.

Brave. Adjective. Ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage. The hospital smelled of cleaning supplies and sanitizer. I sat in the waiting room seeing all the different people who were about to go in to a procedure or get tests done. Most of them were elders who looked like they needed rest. Others were children who looked scared. I sat there for ten minutes before hearing “Avery Stortz” I stood up. The lady walked over to me and said “Can you give your date of birth please”. I was slightly nervous and my words were caught in my throat. “Uh….050407”. The lady told me to follow her. As we continued down the hall I made two fists and told myself to be brave. The room she led me into was strange. “She will be right with you”. Then the lady left and she shut the door behind her. The room smelled of bleach and it looked plain. The walls were beige. The chair in the corner was for anyone accompanying the patient. In my case my mom. There was a cart with drawers. I could not see what was inside yet. The chair I had to sit in was large. It could have fit three of me. The only thing that made the room a little bit less overwhelming was the bowl of lollipops and stickers on the small sink table near the door. When the lady came in my face went tense. I knew that today wasn’t a normal blood draw. Today they would be taking more blood than I like to imagine.  The lady walked in with a kit full of the tubes my blood was going in. I had so much blood drawn already that year, my arm was sore. I wanted to just get it over with. They tied the blue band above my elbow and heated the spot where they were going to prick me. I was trying to be brave and not cry. Then I saw the needle. I knew that this test would finally tell us what was wrong. I closed my eyes and waited for her to prick me. It hurt. I wanted to just stand up and run but I knew I had to stay. I watched as the blood moved through the small tube and into the containers. One container was almost full. It was if every minute felt like an hour. My arm was in a lot of pain. Finally 14 tubs later I was done. She pulled the needle out of my arm and wrapped it up. It was over. I felt so relieved. But I knew that I had to be brave because the test results would come back soon. I had to face the challenge of getting blood drawn. I had to stay strong and have bravery. This experience has led me to become a stronger person and more willing to try new things.

Athletic. Adjective. Physically strong, fit, and active. I Have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. The smell of the dew drops on the grass in the early morning, and the sun surrounded by clouds. The field has been freshly painted so all the lines look perfect. I grab my bag and start walking across the field to meet some of my teammates. Once I get to the other side I sit down and begin to lace up my cleats. I slide my shin guards into my socks and then stand up. My teammate Ellie and I pass the ball back and forth until the coach arrives. He talks to us to get us ready to play. We start warm ups, first by stretching and then a more complex series of passes. Then we move on to a small possession game. One team puts on pennies and the other stays in their jerseys. It is basically keep away. Than we talk as a team about execution and making the right decisions on the field. The referee blows his whistle signaling us onto the field. We line up in our positions. I play defensive center mid so I stay in the middle of the field most of the time. The ball gets placed in the middle of the field on the centerline. He blows the whistle loud letting us know we can begin. Maddie turned around and made a swift pass to me. Then I make a solid pass backwards to Aliva. The game has begun. I am athletic in many ways such as when I play soccer. It is something I hope to still be doing many years in the future.

In the future I want to be described as smart, loving, brave and fun. I predict that I will have a cool job that allows me to travel. I hope to have graduated college. I might even be known for overcoming my disease and living a normal life. I’m not quite sure what occupation I would like to have yet but I do have some idea. I would like a job that allows me to travel every once in a while. I want a job where I can interact with others and collaborate on ideas. I would like a job that is not in a confined space and allows me to stay active. I have a few goals for my future, some are small and others are larger. One of my smaller goals is to read 150 books in 10 years. I also really want to travel the world. I would like to go overseas, to Paris, I want to travel to see different cultures and experience new things. Another goal that I have for myself is two run a 5k. I see signs everywhere and I think it would be cool to push myself to complete one. One of my major goals is to get into a good collage that lets me explore job opportunities, and provides good education. One last goal I have is to stay on my meds until my diseases are dormant and after that I want to meet others with the same issues and maybe even start speaking about it publicly. Right now I see myself as a funny, loyal, friendly, athletic person. When I am an adult I would like to be seen as very friendly so I can keep my relationships and make new friends easily. As an adult I want to be in a position where I have a good job and people think I am successful.

Overall I am an athlete who has faced some challenges and become braver for it. I have been playing soccer ever since I can remember. It always keeps me active and pushes me to be more athletic by participating in other sports to stay fit. I have also been diagnosed with Lyme and Crohn’s disease for a while. I have had to be brave many times when more issues pop back up. In the future I hope to have gotten into a good college that allows me to have a good education. I also hope to have overcome my disease and become comfortable speaking about it. I also hope to stay athletic and be playing soccer for many years to come “Take a limitation and turn it into an opportunity. Take an opportunity and turn it into an adventure by dreaming BIG!”(Jo Franz).

Works Cited

Franz, Jo. "Jo Franz Quotable Quotes." Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/381407-take-a-limitation-and-turn-it-into-an-opportunity-take. Accessed 16 May 2021.

"Stronger(What Doesn't Kill You)." Genius, genius.com/Kelly-clarkson-stronger-what-doesnt-kill-you-lyrics. Accessed 16 May 2021.