고등학교 공통영어1 (NE능률 민병천) 연계 글

On the first day of high school, our homeroom teacher gave us an assignment that seemed simple: write five words that describe yourself. It was easy to write the first word, "quiet." Since elementary school, it had been the word that appeared on almost every report card I received. Relatives introduced me as "the quiet one," and classmates who needed a partner for a group project often chose me because I would not argue. The other four words did not come so easily. That evening, I stared at the four empty lines for almost an hour and wrote nothing.

Late that night, I realized that "quiet" described what I did not do, but it revealed nothing about what I could do. It was hard to find words for strengths that I had never stopped to notice.

Before class the next day, I asked my friend Dahyun, who has known me since middle school, which words she would choose for me. "Careful," she replied without hesitation. "For example, you were the one who found the mistake in our science report last year." I had almost forgotten that day. Our group had checked the numbers three times, but I noticed that one measurement was ten times larger than the others.

For the next two weeks, I kept a small journal and recorded every moment that made me feel useful or proud. Most of the moments were ordinary. I explained a math problem to a classmate who had missed a class, and I finished a puzzle that my younger brother had given up on. When I reread my journal, I began to see patterns. The entries showed that I listen closely to others, notice small details, and persist with difficult tasks. It was surprising to discover so many strengths in such ordinary days.

In the end, I submitted my list: careful, patient, observant, steady, and calm. "Quiet" was not on it. I still do not talk much in class, and I do not consider that a weakness. Now I understand that a label from other people reflects only one aspect of a person. Therefore, it is more useful to examine what you actually do than to repeat what others say about you.