When I was in the sixth year of elementary school, I was tackling my jiyu-kenkyu, an independent research project, on the last day of the vacation. I intended to make a tank, but it ended up as just a plain square box with four tires glued to it. My friends laughed at it, and I was ashamed. I decided to finish the summer homework BEFORE summer the next time. I asked my teachers to tell me about the summer homework after the term-end exams. In those days, the school had a week of half-days after the exams. I rushed home every day and worked on the homework until late at night. I finished all the homework BEFORE the summer vacation began! I continued to do that for three years, and my junior high school summer vacations were full of joy without any worries.   (143 words)

You can send me a comment or your own story at jaremaga@gmail.com