My family says to me that family is the most important thing in life. Likewise, my friends will say that friends are a vital aspect of the average teenage lifestyle. I hear elders chatting in a nearby bakery, saying that there is nothing better than health. My school constantly tells students that education is the key to success. Meanwhile, media and society implies that fame and money is everything a person will ever need. When someone asks me about the most important thing in life, I will say none of the things above. Of course, family and friends are important, but I will not say that they are most important aspects of life. Although, health and education are also essential, they are not the most important things in life. Money and fame might please the materialistic and luxurious side to mankind, but these things money and fame can buy will not last forever. So, if someone asks me what I think is the most important aspect of life, I will simply say one short but meaningful phrase-never take anything for granted.
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The week Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast was probably one of the most uninteresting, prosaic (not to mention, lifeless) week of my life. All I remember doing that week was trying to finish my 3-D model of a cell membrane in the dark. I will admit that when I first heard about Hurricane Sandy in the news a few days before the actual storm, I really didn’t care. “Um…yeah, like that’s ever going to happen to the tri-state area,” was all I could say flipping through every channel. At the time, it actually surprised me that the updates on Hurricane Sandy were on every major news channel. I mean, the weatherman on TV is always wrong all the time, so why would I even believe him? I really didn’t take any of this “nonsense” seriously. While flipping through the channels, trying to escape the hysteria on the news, my mom barged in my room, nearly ranting about how we have no food or water bottles at home. “Mom, don’t worry about this storm. The last time we had a “hurricane”, nothing happened.” My mom just ended up ranting more, and forced me to go to the supermarket with her.

“Wow, I’ve never seen the parking lot so full!” I exclaimed, as my mom and I entered the parking lot of A&P on Maple Avenue. There was hardly any room for cars to even drive by the parking lot because there were so many pedestrians running in and out of the store. Luckily, we were able to spot a parking space and we entered the congested supermarket. The minute I stepped inside A&P, all I could see was a sea of people all panicking to get the cheapest and most long-lasting, nonperishable items as fast as they could. It was no longer a supermarket; it nearly became a jungle of competition! My mom and I pushed through the crowd to get to the water aisle, where we could see nothing but empty white shelves. “What the…where’s the water?” I mumbled under my breath as I saw the same, confused yet agitated look on every customer’s face as they saw the empty shelves. We walked out of A&P unsuccessful.

After days of anticipation, it was the day that Hurricane Sandy was expected to hit our area. I woke up to the sound of pounding rain on my windowsill as I could only hear the cacophony of sharp winds. At that moment, it seemed as if it was just a regular rain storm, but obviously, I was wrong. I expected the rain to cease later during the day, but it rained all day. And at night, it became even worse. The winds blew harder and faster, as the rain came down like there was no tomorrow. The sound of thunder nearly pierced my ears, as I flinched every time I heard it. When I looked out my window, I could see tree branches and garbage flying in the air. I then, realized that Hurricane Sandy would be no joke, so I decided to calm myself down by watching some reality TV. Everything seemed to be fine until I couldn’t see anything. Suddenly, all I saw was black…

“Mom?” I shouted as I tried to feel my way into the living room. On my way to the living room, I bumped into some pieces of furniture, but I guess that was my punishment of underestimating the power of Hurricane Sandy. Then, I saw my mom in the living room, lighting candles sporadically throughout the house. I realized that there was nothing entertaining to do, so I fell asleep sometime later that night.

The next several days after that first night was probably the WORST week of my life. I would have never imagined myself saying this, but I actually began to grow tired of constantly sleeping all day. I couldn’t do anything except work on my long, tedious science project and read books (something I normally wouldn’t do if there was electricity). I could tell that I was getting lazier and lazier every day, not having a plan or agenda for that day. With all that free time, it allowed me to notice something that I have never absorbed before.
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Everyday, I learn something new. Although that week was honestly so miserable, it made me realize how much I take for granted. However, not only taking granted the luxuries of electricity, but also being able to simply live life and spend time with the people that matter to me the most. One doesn’t always have to learn a lesson through tragic times. Yes, horrible moments do help people see the bigger picture faster, but even the smallest events or moments can make someone notice the unseen. And in my case, it was Hurricane Sandy.