The sky is blue and cloudless. My eyes are squinted from the sun shining directly at me as a soft breeze blows in my hair. With my left arm I grab the board and stride further towards where the tide comes in. My feet leave faint footprints in the sand until I reach the shoreline. I enclose the two ends of Velcro around my ankle and scout the scene.

I fully emerge my body into the salty water. The wetsuit keeps me unaware of how much colder the water really is. Hand and hand, arm and arm, I slowly begin paddling into the stretch of blue. It’s like continuously digging a hole that disappears. I make it over the waves, pushing through them as they pass. A giant one nearly crashes on me, however I dive under it. I resurface and hop back onto the board and regain control. The only thing that can be frustrating is that you are not always in control, the ocean is. Out of the blue, unexpected waves can appear, and currents can simply drift you away.

My arms are tired of fighting the current so I let it carry me. Far away I drift from where I started. I spot an array of dolphins leaping out of the waters close to me and catch glimpses of the odd schools of fish. I can see the waves rolling closer towards me, and see new ones form across the horizon. Calmly and slowly they approach as soft white peaks form and they finally crash. It’s only a matter of time until the perfect one comes. It soon draws closer to me and I begin to paddle, thrusting myself forward. At the right time, I push myself up and plant my feet on the board. The board tips and sways as speed builds up. I quickly regain my balance by readjusting my feet. I spread my arms wide out and feel the ocean’s spray burst into tiny water droplets among my face. It feels refreshing and relaxing. At the height of the moment I suddenly plunge downwards with the wave. I descend into the shallow waters, and my board tugs on my ankle. I get up and even so more determined to catch another one, more determined to improve. I think that if you have the chance, try surfing, it is a really unique experience. The adrenalin rushes to my brain and even after, the excitement never fades.

The Influence of Hate

Hate. This is a forceful, powerful word that to many, is used within their everyday conversations daily. Most people don’t think before they say it, hate just diffuses right out of their mouth when they get frustrated, angry or just plain confused. It has become a normal word of our language as you can often hear children saying it. Within the word hate, there are many emotions tied along with it, the same emotions that started the horrifying and tragic Holocaust.

The holocaust was a dreadful and dark period of time and is unimaginable to envision and relate to. Only those with the gruesome memories and experiences can. Eva Olsson shared these thoughts as her voice beamed from the podium at which she was standing. It wasn’t just the compelling stories she was telling, but the way she told them, with a dignified passion.

She was an incredible speaker, and she touched my heart as she shared her voice with us. The crowd was silent as she recounted back to the distressing memories of her life experiences. I found it absolutely awful when she described how her mother was taken away for her to never see again. Eva never got the chance to say goodbye to her mother, and tell her how much she loved her. I found it amazing at the amount of courage she had, and how she had enough hope to survive the Holocaust.

I was upset and shocked that something so revolting was caused by hate. It was horrible that so many were killed or suffocated because they were simply different. We all vary from our peers in one way or another, so why should someone be killed because of their religion, race, or skin colour?

Eva not only retold the historic disaster of the holocaust, but also related it to now. Bullying is a reoccurring issue that we often hear about in school as well as see it. Eva specifically said that being a by-stander is as bad as being the bully. If the by-standers had done something, then the Holocaust would have not happened. She also said to never say hate, the root of the holocaust, but instead ‘I do not like’.

After hearing Eva Olsson speak, it changed a part of me. She was an incredible speaker with important and meaningful lessons taught within her speech. She taught us not use the word hate, not to drink and drive, and to stand up instead of being a by-stander. I was appalled at what she among many had to endure, and how she had the strength to survive. I felt honored to have introduced her, she was such an inspiration. Her voice is one I won’t forget, as the world cannot forget the upsetting times of the Holocaust.