The Voice I Found Anonymous

It was time for me to go. I didn’t think it could get any more complicated than it was but it did I timidly shuffled into the daunting assembly room of a church to approach a rather unwelcoming judge panel. My heart raced as the heat from the spotlights singed through my heavy business suit. My smooth flats tapped noisily on the waxed floor and pulled me towards the center of attention, a place I’ve always quailed at.

I almost succumbed to my doubts and exited the competition room when I heard a familiar voice chanting to me. The voice assured me: “You’ve got this, Tyler. Remember, you are destined for greatness. You are nationals-bound.” It was the voice of my adviser, who’d given me this pep talk right before I entered my competition room. Suddenly, my demeanor shifted. No longer was I this small, cautious, mousy girl waddling before unnerving judges. I grew confident and sure of myself, characteristics that were never used to describe me before. I walked with pride in my stride. I was ready to impress these stiff judges with my remarkable oratory skills. I was invincible.

I stopped in the center and firmly planted my feet. “This is it,” I thought to myself. I took a deep breath, looked at each judge in the eyes, smiled with...