A Time I Made a Difficult Choice
The hardest choice I had made up to that point came on a Friday afternoon in my junior year of high school. I
had spent weeks preparing for a school theater audition, and that evening was the only scheduled audition
time. I was excited and nervous in equal amounts. Then, just before the final bell, my manager called and
asked whether I could cover an evening shift at the grocery store where I worked. Someone had called out
sick, and they needed another cashier.
My first reaction was to say yes. I needed the money, I did not want to disappoint my manager, and missing
one audition seemed easier than telling someone I could not help. But when I opened my backpack after
school, I saw the script I had highlighted and practiced on the bus every morning. I had spent two months
hoping I would be brave enough to audition. Suddenly, the decision felt much bigger than a single work shift.
I sat on a bench outside the school office and called my mother. I explained the situation and asked what she
thought I should do. She did not make the decision for me. Instead, she asked a simple question: “Which
choice will you be more disappointed about tomorrow?” I knew the answer almost immediately. I would regret
missing the audition because I had been afraid to ask for a different solution at work. I would not regret asking
my manager whether someone else could cover the shift.
That did not make the phone call easy. I was nervous as I dialed my manager's number. When he answered,
I explained that I had an important school commitment and asked whether I could work a different evening
instead. I expected him to be annoyed. There was a pause, and then he said, “Thanks for letting me know.
Come in Saturday afternoon instead.” The problem was not completely solved, but it was no longer as
frightening as it had seemed in my head.
I ran across campus to the theater room with only a few minutes to spare. Other students were already
waiting in the hallway, holding scripts and whispering lines to themselves. I could hear music coming from
inside the auditorium. For a moment, I wondered whether I had made the wrong choice anyway. Then my
name was called.
