It is a commonly known fact that every person’s childhood experiences can remarkably affect their adult life. Both significant events, such as winning a contest, and smaller ones, like a particular talk to a family member, can leave a mark on an individual. This paper aims to present a defining event from childhood from personal experience and discuss how it impacts an adult’s personality and character.
As I reflect upon my childhood, I find it difficult to single out just one major event that shaped me as a person. However, I would like to share a story that happened to me at the age of 8. As I was walking down the street with my mother, I saw a poor-looking man in shabby clothes sitting on a bench. His cheeks were hollow, and his face was wrinkled but still strangely appealing. I asked my mum if this man was in need, and she replied that he must be having a difficult time. I said that I wanted to help and reached for my jeans pocket with my weekly allowance. There was $20 left, and my mother asked me if I was sure of my desire to give it away. I did not reply but walked back, approaching the poor man. I can still remember the piercing look of his tired blue eyes as I put a banknote in his callous hand. The man thanked me, smiling, and this event and his kind smile are still embedded in my memory.
Overall, the situation with the poor man described in this paper was defining for the way I see people and act in society as an adult. It has shaped my idea of compassion and taught me to recognize and help those in need. Positive and negative events and encounters that happen to children can change their view of life, define their character, and influence their experience in adulthood.