Randi Farmer,15,Cornerstone1 Christian Academy2, Indiana3, US
″I＇ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember． I＇ve written this story which I hope you will consider for your magazine． It falls into the ＇Personal Experience＇ category4 because it really happened to me and really touched my heart! Please enjoy this piece of my heart and read it with yours open! May it touch you as much as it did me!!!″
Some things in life either happen to teach you something or else they happen to teach someone else something． However, there are a couple of things that happen for both reasons． I did not expect that type of lesson when I got up one summer morning． I groggily5 pulled myself into the kitchen and found that my dad had been waiting for me to get up．
Forty minutes later my mom, dad, sister and our two friends were piled in the van6 and chugging7 down the road． My dad had to do some research so we were all headed for the big library downtown． Most people would think we were crazy to want to go to a library over our summer break, but I couldn＇t wait． Besides, the trip included lunch!
Even after we had viewed the entire three－story building, my lesson had not yet found me! It wasn＇t until we left for lunch that my heart and soul each received a tug8．
My dad always loved eating at those outside hot dog stands, so that is where we ate． We carefully balanced our armful of goodies as we walked across the street and entered a park—the perfect place for lunch． Boy, was this a treat!
While savoring9 every bite I suddenly spotted10 a homeless man walking toward the trash11 can that was close to us． He stuck his arm in and his face lit up when he gingerly12 lifted out two empty soda13 cans． Tear bubbles14 started to well15 up in my eyes, but I blinked16 them away．
“You can have our cans when we＇re done,” I heard my dad say． When he did I just couldn＇t stand it any longer, and I turned my back toward the man and let the tears flow． I always had a special place in my heart for the homeless, but I think that place grew in size the second I felt my tears．
My parents, feeling the same as I did, offered to buy him a hot dog and chips17． So we all headed over to buy them with this unfortunate18 man sharing with us some things about himself．
When we had bought him this lunch, my mom stuffed19 his pockets with some of the snacks20 that she had brought along for us in the car． Then we all waved goodbye as he balanced his armload of goodies． And let me just say that I＇m sure his lunch treat21 had meant more to him than our lunch treat had meant to us!
That was the lesson I had not expected． No matter where you go in your life, sometimes those little incidents22 are going to pop23 up． He touched our hearts and hopefully we touched his． So I guess you could say that this was one of those lessons that was meant to teach both us and him．
1. cornerstone n．墙角石, 基础
2． academy n．(高等)专科院校
3． Indiana n．印地安纳州（美国州名）
4． category n．种类, 类别
5． groggily adv．酒醉地, 东倒西歪地
6． van n．有篷货车
7． chug v．发出轧轧声
8． tug n．猛力拉，拖拉
9． savor v．尝到或闻到, 尽情享受
10．spot v．认出, 发现
11．trash n．垃圾, 废物
12．gingerly adv．小心翼翼地, 谨慎地
13．soda n．苏打, 碳酸水
14．bubble n．泡沫
15．well [wel] v．涌出
16．blink v．眨眼, 闪亮
17．chips n．炸薯条
18．unfortunate adj．不幸的, 不合时宜的
19．stuff v．塞满, 填满
20．snack n．小吃, 快餐
21．treat n．宴请, 款待, 请客
22．incident n．事件, 事变
23．pop v．突然出现