The Consequences of Not Breathing

Mrs. Whitaker!” Stephanie said, “Jessica can make her face turn bright red!” My best friends, Stephanie and Harli Ray, were standing with me in front of the teacher bench. It was a warm breezy day at Randolph Elementary School in Goochland, Virginia. After performing my newly found talent to my best friends, we all decided it would be a fun idea to show the teachers too.
It was the spring of fourth grade. Goochland was my new home I was comfortable and happy there. I had moved to the school in the middle of third grade and immediately felt a connection. My friends and I always went to hang out under a climbing wall of huge black tires during recess. It was nice and cool under the shade of the sun-warmed tires.
“It’ll look just like a tomato!” I said, “Just watch!” I took a deep breath as if I was about to go underwater and held it in tight. I built more and more pressure in my head and watched as the teachers gasped in surprise. Moments later I felt all the stability in my body leave and I fell straight backwards completely blacked out.
The smell of gravel filled my nostrils and alerted me. The first thing I felt when I woke up was my back aching. I realized I had fallen on the wooden log that bordered the playground. I slowly opened my eyes.
“Do you want some water? Are you okay? Drink some water. Can you breathe alright?” The voice said frantically. Through the sliver opening in my eyes I saw a teacher crouched down right in front of me. She was holding a glass of water, with her other hand held out to help me up. I looked around and saw the entire fourth grade looking down at me, surrounding me. Vague whispers of concerned voices filled the air as I realized where I was.
I stood up and regained my balance. I felt a tingling sensation of all the blood being rushed back to the proper place in my body.
“No I think I’m okay,” I told her while she made forced the water into my hand.
“Colby! Go tell Mr. Harriston to come here so he can carry her to the nurse!” the Teacher said. He attention directed back to me as she switched her tone to sweet again, “Honey are you sure you’re alright?”
I didn’t want anyone to pick me up; I felt dizzy enough. I mumbled the rejections of her command but it was too late. Here came the 400-pound Physical Education teacher already sweating from his trot over to us. I felt my body being lifted.
Looking back, I don’t remember anything else after that moment. I think I recovered and went on with my day. I do remember coming home, and Ms. Whitaker calling my mom because I had forgotten to tell her the day’s events. She thought it was funny that I didn’t even mention what had happened; I guess it didn’t seem so important.
That was the first time I’d ever fainted, and I haven’t passed out since. It was really stupid of me to not realize what I was doing would have that outcome. I was so proud that I could turn my face red and no one else could that I didn’t think about the dangers…
It was the first day that the idea of my actions having consequences dawned on me. In away it was a big step in growing up. Everyone has his or her epiphanies, and I like how my first one turned out.