Creative Writing: “Mountain Top”

“Mountain Top” is a college essay written by Jackson Katusha, a senior at Saratoga Springs high school.

 

 

Mountain Top

2,236 feet of vertical ascent.

10.2 miles.

2 hours 3 minutes and 14 seconds.

Heart racing.

Legs on fire.

I did it. I ran Cat Mountain… twice.

There I stand, bent over on the summit, chest heaving. The hard rock face beneath my feet, the cool wind brushing across my face, and sweat dripping slowly down the back of my neck. As I lift my head, I am greeted with the 180-degree view of the Adirondack Mountains, which are just starting to turn golden-yellow, and the dark blue waters of Lake George in the distance. As my eyes sweep across the landscape, my gaze lands on a little yellow bird that is resting a few feet to my left in a pine tree. It is a Goldfinch, I know it by name, and I have my grandparents to thank for that.

Grandma and Grandpa Connors loved birds, no matter the type, and they did everything they could think of to pass that love onto me. From pointing out different birds on our walks in the park, to buying me binoculars on my 7^th birthday, they never gave up. When I first opened the binoculars, my heart sank. I thanked my grandparents quietly, trying to hide my disappointment. My grandma, noticing my lack of enthusiasm, led me to the sliding glass door at the back of her house. She put the binoculars up to my eyes and pointed a finger at the mature crab apple tree drooping over her deck. As a turned my head to get a better view, I saw the tree was alive with more than just leaves. Birds fluttered from branch to branch singing their own unique song, and from that moment on, I am glued to the tree for hours.

After pulling me away from the birds, my parents and I made the drive to my paternal grandparent’s house just a few minutes away. As I step through the door I am greeted with hugs, kisses, and a big rectangular box wrapped in red. After tearing it open, I realize it is a Lego set, but not just any Lego set, a 10,000-piece truck that came with a motor and lights. Who did they think I was? I carried the box to my bedroom in the back, poured out all the pieces, and stared in amazement as I let out a deep sigh. After a few minutes, my fear dissipated, and my fingers got to work. Everything around me melted away. I no longer heard Poppop’s too-loud TV and Mima’s clattering dishes from the kitchen turned into white noise. The next few hours were filled with tears, frustration, and Lego pieces flying across the room. I stormed off more than once, but I always came back to give it another try. In the end, I finished that darn truck.

As the yellow bird flutters away, I am brought back to the mountain top. Suddenly I realize, these things I once considered small and unimportant, are connected, and have helped shape me into the man I am today. The binoculars brought out my appreciation and need for nature and my creative side which, in return, made me into the filmmaker I am. The Legos helped me prove to myself that with drive, determination, and grit, I can do anything I set my mind to. Small moments like these helped define me and planted the seeds of interest that would later fuel my love for engineering and film.  The joy I felt that day watching the birds through the glass door is the same joy that drove me to go to the mountains instead of sitting inside. The drive that pushed me to finish the Lego set is the same drive I used to get myself up the mountain; the same drive I will use to reach my future goals. It all makes sense now.