On Cloud 9 by Gamaliel

On Cloud 9 by Gamaliel - June 2025 Scholarship Essay

Imagine this. "Let's go outside everyone!" The teacher exclaims to the students. "And make sure you bring your blanke...", before she is even done speaking the children rush to their cubbies to grab their blankets, all different shapes and sizes, rushing outside to make sure they get the perfect spot. Laying their blankets on the soft, cool grass as neatly as they could, they stared up towards the heavens, seeing the different clouds, all different shapes and sizes, wondering which one they could claim as their own.

The peace and joy they feel is something that can't be described. "That one looks like a chicken!" one exclaims, "And I think that is a cloud-man!" yells another. "I think that looks like a Garfield the cat!" the teacher says, followed by the laughs and chuckles of all the students. With their creativity running wild, even the sky could not limit the things that they saw and sensed. They all felt like they were in the clouds... all of them on Cloud 9.

One of my favorite activities is just taking 5... no maybe 15 minutes out of my day to sit back, relax, grab some snacks, and watch the clouds roll by. It gives me a sense of freedom and tranquility that gives me goosebumps (the good kind!). It's even more amazing what your mind comes up with when you give it the chance to be in a "loose" state, and you let your imagination run wild. Ideas come up, old memories flow your brain, and a smile slowly forms across your face. I think (and I really do)... if for just 15 minutes a day, cloud watching was a required class... joy to be in the classroom would increase, creativity would swell, and sadness would drop significantly. But don't just take my word for it. Go give it a try, and see what it does to you. You'll thank me for it, I promise.