By Kevin Ch’ng, Year 6 Balwyn North Primary School - 1st Prize Winner Rotary North Balwyn Essay Competition
Grunting with annoyance, I threw my textbook to the floor. I was annoyed, as even after I had worked for hours, I could not seem to find the perfect answer to the question. Deciding to take a break, I walked outside to play soccer instead.
Looking for the ball, I saw a note on the ground. ‘Taken the ball. HA! Brayden.’
Brayden was the school bully. He had pulled this stunt many times before. And annoyingly, he never returned my ball.
“Can you go to the shops to buy some eggs?” my mum called out to my older sister. Her reply came quickly, so sharp that I could see lines of weariness crease my mother’s face.
“No!” was the reply. So I went instead.
On the way out of the shop, I saw a homeless person begging for money. Everyone walked past him, as if he was not there. I gave him some change, and he looked up at me with thankful eyes. In contrast, everyone else looked down at me as if I had grown a third eye.
Wanting a break from all the negative behaviour, I went up to my gaming studio. Whenever I was feeling overwhelmed, I always went up there. And today, I was definitely feeling overwhelmed. Reaching out to retrieve my virtual reality goggles, I attached it to my head and turned it on.
In a second, I became immersed into the Possible Worlds game.
Possible Worlds was my favourite because it provided players with incredibly interesting possibilities. It showcased its creators’ imagination and I liked to ponder about how it worked. I skipped past all of the worlds that I had been in before. But a new world stood out. It read ‘Compassionate World.’
Walking outside, I noticed my soccer ball was out of air. Glancing across the fence, I noticed my neighbour brandishing a soccer ball. “Want to play with me?” Brayden asked. Nodding, I went to his backyard.
“Do you need more eggs?” my sister asked my mum. I could see a smile forming on my mother’s face.
I saw a homeless person receive money from kind shoppers.
I felt a warm glow, and I realised how much I wanted this to be a reality. Reluctantly, I untied the strap of my virtual reality goggles. Looking at the floor, I noticed my textbook again. It was lying on the floor, unwanted and discarded.
Reaching down, I picked up the textbook, and read the question once more.
‘If I could change one thing in the world, it would be…’
Smiling, I thought about the virtual world I had recently entered. I wondered if this was possible to translate into real life.
I picked up a pencil, and began to write.