Wei Li

ESL 100

Feb 4, 2026

Second Life

             Life is not always on one constant path, and neither are people.  I realized this because I came to United States and have been living here for one and a half years.  My life was originally the same as so many students in China before I came to the U.S., and my thinking was also boring.  Talking classes, working hard, and getting a nice job were the rules that I always followed in China.  Everything was planned for me, and every student who was born in a typical family.  Nevertheless, since I came to the United States, I have had chance to have a second life.

             “Do your business and don’t care about others” were words that I always heard from teachers or parents when I lived in China.  Because of this, I was just focused on myself and did not care about people who were around me in high school.  However, I had completely different feeling once I arrived here.  The person who I first talked to in the U.S. was a worker in the airport, and he was nice to me even though I spoke English slowly and unclearly.  However, the experience that really made me change happened in last year.  One day my phone died, and I got lost.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand those words which were on the board at the train stop.  The only idea that came from my mind was calling 911, but I was so shy to ask someone to borrow their phone.  When I felt hopeless, a young man came to me and helped me.  After a difficult exchange, he decided to drive me to home.  From then on, the way that I get along with others has changed a lot and I also have become more and more helpful.

Since I came to United States, I not only have been more helpful, but also have been more confident.  I will never forget the communication with people when I first arrived in the United States which was too embarrassing.  I was afraid to talk to people due to my poor English, and I also worried about being laughed at by people when I spoke Chinses English.  Because of this, I tried to avoid speaking English unless I had to do.  I always used a translator to talk to people, even though sometimes I knew how to say the word I needed.  On the other hand, I gradually realized my thinking was completely incorrect because people who live here are so enthusiastic and patient.  In addition, now, I can also use words that I know to figure words which I don’t know with studying.  To this day, I become more confident, and sometimes I talk to people initiatively to practice my English.  Furthermore, I am not shy or afraid to communicate with people at all.

With the experience of living in the U.S., I have changed and improved a lot in my second life.  I am not the person who just cleans the snow in front of his door and doesn’t care about the snow on my neighbor’s sidewalk.  I am also not the person who is shy to talk to people.  Helpfulness and confidence are two important qualities which I have gotten from living in the United States.  I changed my life path like the train goes to another track.  On this path, I already had two valuable lessons, and I will have more.  The path in the United States is going to a better life, and I will also find more priceless things on this path.

Comments

  1. QitingFebruary 27, 2026 at 8:18 PM

    Hi, David

    Your essay moved me deeply, and I believe you will become a confident person in the future because you are not afraid of making mistakes. 🥹

    ReplyDelete
  2. BillyMarch 5, 2026 at 9:30 AM

    Hello, Li Wei.
    You mention when you arrived the United Stats, you asked a staff of airport help, and it gave you a memorable experience. Your experience makes me to recall a thing like yours that I was very excited to see my father and I left my photographic gears in the waiting hall. At same time, I had been outside, and I didn't have permission to access the waiting hall. I asked few people who can help me. Suddenly, a American woman who can speak Chinese helped me. Finally, I took back my gears.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aria HuangMarch 8, 2026 at 8:11 PM

    Hi David,
    I love the title “Second Life” because that’s exactly how I feel about living here too. The part that stood out to me the most was when you talked about the stranger who helped you when you were lost. Your story reminded me that kindness can really change someone’s life.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Naila BencellaMarch 14, 2026 at 9:34 PM

    Hi David, you can be more than proud of your improvements! We all need kindness, help and support in our lives, and that's what you are giving! Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. TerryMarch 15, 2026 at 6:49 PM

    Hey David!

    You mentioned that in China, the rule was to "not care about others." Do you think it is easier to be helpful in Chicago because you feel more "confident" now, or is it because the culture here encourages people to help strangers?

    ReplyDelete

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