Why You Shouldn't Procrastinate

It’s been a long week, and I may or may not have put off a huge project until the last minute. Again. It’s a problem. Anyway, I rushed to the library to find a book to do my entire research project on. I had to do the research, write the required three page essay, and create a visual example. I told my parents I had finished last week. Needless to say, I lied. 

  I rushed through the library doors, but something caught my eye. There was a sign that said they were going to close at 7:30. That’s in one hour! I should not have put this project off. My grade depends on this! It is the last assignment that will count towards our grade, and I’m not doing too well grade wise. I’m smart, but spend more time with athletics than school. 

I went straight to the nonfiction section. Nothing in particular caught my eye except the clock, which was ticking closer and closer to 7:30. I chose the book closest to me. It was about the Civil War. It’ll have to do. I rush to the nearest table and open up the book and pull out my computer. I scan the table of contents. Nothing caught my eye, except for this one chapter towards the middle called the “Anaconda Plan.” You may not know this about me, but I love snakes. So naturally, I flipped to that chapter. It wasn’t about snakes, but it was about a plan that was based upon an anaconda’s habits and movements. It was actually very interesting. I got so sucked in that I didn’t even notice when they said they were closing. I noticed about an hour too late. I was in the back of the second floor, so no one noticed me.

I was kind of freaking out. I mean, I was probably locked in a building that wasn’t my house. You may be wondering why my parents haven’t called me or anything. Well, they are out of town tonight, so I’m on my own. It was about 8:30, so I wasn’t tired. I decided to find another book about the Anaconda plan. I would do my research on that. I found out some really interesting stuff. I managed to write a four page essay and decide what I wanted to do for the visual presentation. I decided that I would do the presentation of the plan. I just needed the materials. I was also going to make a map of the plan to show. It would be awesome and I would totally get an A on the project, which is what I needed to pass the class. 

After I finished writing the essay and planning my presentation, I realized how tired I was. I looked at the clock and it read 11:43. It was really late. I should be in bed getting ready to fall asleep. I mean, I had school in the morning, and the project is due during the first class, so I had to find a way out. I tried to walk around the library to find the door, but I was really dark, and I could barely see anything. I walked into a bookshelf and several books fell off the shelf. 

I tried to put them back, but I still couldn’t really see, so I just did my best. Apparently, I didn’t do a very good job. I tripped over two books that fell on top of each other and knocked some other books over. I just gave up and went to find a door. I somehow managed to find the door, but it wouldn’t open. I turned around after what felt like an eternity of trying to open the door, and decided to find another exit. After stumbling around in the darkness, I began to grow tired, which caused me to trip onto another bookshelf and sent books flying. I was too tired to try and find them to put them back. I just wanted to be in my bed. 

I found my way to the back of the building and found another door labeled with one of those light-up exit signs. I tried to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge. I pulled out my phone to use the flashlight, I don’t know why I didn't try that before, but it was dead. The little light that the exit sign gave off was just enough for me to notice a little lock on the handle. I pulled out my house key and tried to use it. I hope that it would, but it didn’t. I was ready to just give up. I sat down on the floor next to the door and just started thinking of ways to escape. I had seen shows on TV that have people escaping using the vents, but those were too high up for me to reach. They sometimes use bobby pins to pick a lock, but I didn’t have any. Then I remembered seeing a sewing section in the library when I rushed in a few hours ago. By some miracle I found the section and searched for a stray pin. There was a table by the shelf that had a few pins in a bowl. 

I grabbed the pins and raced to the door, knocking who knows what to the floor. I don’t know how you are supposed to pick a lock, but I tried my best. I got pricked a few times by the pins, but getting out was more important than caring about something so trivial. I heard a click and tried the handle again and it worked. 

But nothing so great can last forever. When I opened the door, an alarm went off. I snuck away knowing it would only be so long before the authorities showed up, and I didn’t plan on being there when they did. Once I felt as if I could not be easily seen, I bolted towards my house. 

I got there in a matter of minutes, I'm a good runner. I fumbled with the keys a little and ran straight to my room after locking the door behind me. I was so tired, I just laid in my bed and went straight to sleep. 

I woke up the next morning to light pouring into my room. I looked over at my clock and saw that it read 9:00. Of course, I slept through my alarm going off and missed the bus to school. And the project submission. I walked over to my backpack to pull out my computer to turn in the project online after I sent an email using my mom’s email to the school calling in sick.

I learned a very valuable lesson that night. Never save your work until the last minute, and if you do, charge your phone and watch the clock. 

This was the story I would tell my children and grandchildren when they started middle school and high school. I hope they listen to my story and learn from my mistakes.