Hey guys,
So for UC application I was prompted to write about a talent that has influenced who I am and my character and I wrote about the yo-yo! I would like to share to you guys my story summed up in 500 words. Let me know what you think!
The string is the brush, the yo-yo a pallet, the air is the canvas, the tricks are the person's
feelings; these are words inspired by a professional yo-yo player. Junior high was a time for a student
to find himself; he wonders what kind of person he becomes, having to choose a group to affiliate
himself with. It was in seventh grade that I discovered myself; my identity found in a little toy that
spins on the edge of the string. The yo-yo started off as a toy to pass my time as I got bored. Hours
of fun were spent on learning little tricks such as “walk the dog” and “around the world” all with the
goal of just passing the time. It didn’t come without consequence however; as I progressed through
seventh grade I was constantly ridiculed and demotivated for playing with a “child’s toy.” The
insults, however, did not stop me; it even motivated me to do better. It wasn’t till eighth grade that
I discovered the world of professional yo-yo play and the culture behind the toy. The yo-yo went
beyond it’s role starting that day; it became part of my lifestyle, my passion.
Throughout my school career I've developed tricks, learning new elements and ways of
executing, in my mind, perfection. In my training I found communities, met people that share the
same hobby as me, and learned from their life changing experiences due to the yo-yo. A revelation
hit me, the yo-yo has set me apart from normal society, and it was one of the biggest moments of
my life when I accepted my identity. To society, creativity, feelings, and emotions are considered to
be mainly expressed through music, art, and writing. For me, I sit on another spectrum; I use my yo-
yo to display my feelings, and my true character. This very passion has brought me acceptance into
my school’s society; performing for the entertainment of my peers and showing them the world that
they have never experienced before. Today, the yo-yo’s role in my life is to express my feelings, my
creativity, my very individual personality and being. Because of the yo-yo, my desire to seek out the
underground has opened me to so much culture within this country and world; I have discovered the
world of parkour, the brony community, and the support of the world of skill toys. Most people would
see the yo-yo as some toy for a kid to pass the time. Five years of training has shown me much
more. The various deviant communities in America are endless, and I now see beauty in simple things.
I can see the emotions and characters of other players as they execute tricks that their very
passion and creativity innovated. The yo-yo went from a mere toy to a tool in my life to truly express
who I am, and a medium to show the world the creativity my character can innovate, one trick at a
time.