I often think of a story about applause.
That was when I was a freshman. There is a girl named Eiko in the class. She is quiet and beautiful, but she always likes to curl up in the corner of the classroom. Before class, she comes to the classroom early, and after class, she is always the last one to leave the classroom. Later we learned that her leg was disabled because of polio, and she didn't want to be seen walking.
One day, during the lecture, the teacher asked the students to tell a short story on the platform. When it was Eiko's turn to make a speech, more than forty pairs of eyes in the class turned to that corner together, and Eiko immediately bowed his head. As soon as the lecture teacher was transferred, he kept calling Eiko's name without knowing Eiko's situation.
Eiko hesitated for a while and finally stood up slowly. We noticed that Eiko's eyes were red.
Under the gaze of the whole class, Eiko finally waddled onto the podium. At the moment when she just stood, I don't know who led her, but suddenly there was a burst of applause. The applause was warm and long, and in the applause, we saw Eiko's tears flow down.
The applause gradually subsided, and Eiko calmed down and began to tell a little story about her childhood. She speaks standard Mandarin with a beautiful voice. When she finished her speech, the class applauded again. Eiko bowed politely to the teacher, bowed politely to the students, and then waddled off the platform with applause.
Strangely, since that speech, Eiko seems to be a different person. She is no longer so melancholy. She plays games and jokes with her classmates. On one occasion, she even walked into the small ballroom of the school and asked her classmates to teach her to dance. Later, Eiko's academic performance has been very good, especially in math and physics. In her sophomore year, she participated in the National Olympic Physics Competition on behalf of our school and won the prize.
Three years passed in a hurry. Three years later, Eiko was admitted to a university in Beijing. Later, Eiko wrote to me and said, "I will never forget that applause, because it made me understand that my classmates did not discriminate against me." I should summon up the courage to smile and face life. Applause gave me a second life ... "
Only then can I understand why Eiko has become cheerful and lively. Since then, I have learned to applaud others, especially when others are in trouble. Actually, everyone needs applause. On the stage of life, who doesn't want his performance to be applauded? Applause is a kind of respect, but also an encouragement and affirmation of a life.