How I became the Better Person

“How I became the Better Person” is one of the outstanding stories of the first biannual International Short Story Contest 2018 written by Almedina Suljevic, JU Turisticko-ugostiteljska škola Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovinia.

How I became the Better Person

Music has always been an important part of my life, but it turned out I didn't listen to the right one. As a teenager, you listen to whatever is out there and you don't pay attention to vocals, lyrics and overall quality. For me it all changed when I first heard a song from Mariah Carey. My story may sound funny and childish, but to me it's serious and once I tell you my story, you will understand. It all began on 6th June 2014. I stumbled upon a song that touched me and the sound reached all of my senses. My all is a song that Mariah wrote all by herself and her soothing, slightly raspy Butterfly era tone was an introduction to great music for me. Since then, I have listened to rock, pop and all good music genres from the 80s and 90s.

My once terribly nasal voice turned into a strong melismatic one. I grew to understand the importance of good music because I finally felt satisfied with myself. All of the negative aspects of my life changed because of her and that is something I am grateful for. A good person is a person who doesn't judge or hate, has respect, love and inner peace. That is what I achieved after so many years. She made my sad life in Bosnia a little brighter, made my writing skills better and really enlightened me. A lot of people still don't know her story and the situation her voice is going through since the day she was born. But that's another story for another time. The point is, I finally know what I want in life, what I should stand for and what I believe in.

I know the importance of dreams and how important it is to believe in yourself. A once debonair and frightened child became a wise 17-year-old who is confident and ready to face anything that comes my way. And it's all thanks to her, the one and only songbird supreme, Mariah Carey. She rose from the ashes so many times and always believed in herself. If you don't know how she became one of the best artists of all time, just ask billboard. She is an artist that has the most number 1 hits and who has spent most weeks at that position. Yet she is so humble and grateful and that makes me in loss for words. It's so hard to believe that someone can touch you with such a were changed voice and an impeccable flow of words. There are so many reasons I will always be proud to have her as an idol. Life for me is very turbulent in the family matter, but thanks to her I can escape and I can relate to a lot of her music. In a way, even when I fail, I still feel succesful because I know I gave my best to accomplish something. I will always know that I'm on the right path because my goals are very positive. Never again should I hate or judge or do anything that I will regret later, because I developed that mentality. I will always aim for something that will be good for me and I will never stop believing in my dreams. This state couldn't have been achieved with this new music because it is fading.

It is sad that good music is losing it's impact and autotune and dancy beats are what's considered good. That is why we have so many problematic children who are poisoned by the mainstream. We are not teaching them real values because we are forgetting them ourself. Once you discover true quality music, it will have a great influence on you, and it will keep you on the right path. This is one of the main reasons I changed for the better, and I will consider this one of the best things that ever happened to me. When I get older, I will teach my kids the same because I want them to be the best version of themselves. We should always aim for the better and work for ourselves to make a difference.