103室,假日酒店,哈里森堡,弗吉尼亚

It was midnight, and I lay wide-awake under layers of blankets. My roommate was fast asleep on the other bed. We had just come back from winning the Forensics State Championship for the fifth time in seven years. Lying in bed, I thought back to the moment when the master of ceremonies announced Princess Anne High School as the 2007 Forensics State Champion. My memory of what happened is actually kind of fuzzy, and all I can remember is a strange blur of shouts, hugs, makes me bursting into uncontrollable tears, and the shiny glint of the gold trophy.

Yet despite the excitement and happiness of our success as a team, I couldn’t help but still feel that twinge of disappointment because individually, I did not do as well as I expected. Being my second year at States, I had hoped to be in the top three in my category, but unfortunately, I fell slightly short of that goal. While I may have laughed and celebrated with the team after the win, part of me desperately wanted some time to myself.

I felt selfish for placing greater importance on my personal loss than the team’s win, but I couldn’t help it. Frustration and regret overwhelmed me. What if I had articulated a little more? What if I had made more eye contact with the judges? So many “what ifs.” That night, uncertainties swirled in my mind while I stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. But then, I remembered a small incident from the afternoon of the competition.

It was the final round, when all the top contestants performed one more time for the judges. I sat down, listening intently to my iPod, trying as much as I could to calm the butterflies in my stomach. The other contestants slowly matriculated into the room. I was so focused on practicing my piece once more in my head that I did not pay much attention to them. Before I knew what was going on, a girl with her hair in a tight bun had come up to me excitedly and shook my hand. I quickly took out my earphones and stared at her blankly.

“Are you the girl who did the blonde hair story last year?” she asked.

“Uh yeah...‘Blonde’...yeah, the one about the Chinese girl. That’s me,” I answered confusedly.

“Wow! You were so good. Your performance was amazing. I just wanted to let you know that you’re the reason I joined Forensics. I was in tears after watching your piece.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much! I’m really glad you discovered Forensics.” I grinned, rather taken aback but pleasantly surprised by her enthusiasm and excitement. It took a couple seconds for it to sink in, but then I realized how thoughtful it was of her to say that and how happy that compliment made me.

Thinking back to that girl, I recognized how significant her words were. It was the most flattering compliment I have ever received. While others may have admired and lauded my performances in the past, this time, I influenced someone and led someone to also find the joy in public speaking. Then it hit me. The purpose of my performances was not only for the judges or the medals, although those would be nice. Rather, it was even better to know that I impacted someone else’s life. The girl with her hair in a tight bun probably does not have a clue about the impact her words had on me or the type of encouragement her words had given me. She has inspired me as much as I have inspired her.

As captain of next year’s team, I have set high standards for both the team and myself because missing my goal this year will only push me to work even harder. Forensics is a sport, so with it comes both triumphs and failures that one has to bear. From the many wins and losses, I have learned the meaning of courage and how to always stand right back up after any stumble or fall, smiling and ready to take on another challenge.

I smiled, closed my eyes, and went to sleep.（责编：张楚武）