SEKAR Edisi Mei 2025 | What I Learned From My Broken Shoes karya Hosnil Khotimah

What I Learned From My Broken Shoes 

Karya Hosnil Khotimah

The high-school me was the competitive one but then my shoe betrayed me. When I was a junior high school student, competitions were a big part of my life. Although I am not a ‘gifted’ student, I joined a lot of competitions, from mathematics, sciences, and even social sciences olympiads. There’s something exhilarating about pushing myself to the limits and seeing how far I can go. But as much as I prepared for every competition or olympiads, nothing could have prepared me for the unexpected moment.

It was the final round of the social sciences olympiad called KOMETS held by an Islamic university in 2019. While I put so much effort into the initial round, I had not expected to advance to the final round. When my teacher told me that my name is on the finalist list, I was thrilled and slightly panicked because unlike the earlier written test (paper-based test), the final round would be a presentation. I had not prepared for this, and to make matters worse, my confidence took another hit when my shoe broke right before my turn for the final round presentation.

I remember looking down at the sole flapping with every step, my heart sinking. The idea of walking onto a stage with a room almost full of audiences who are participants, teachers, and also judges staring at me was nerve-wracking enough without the added embarrassment of a broken shoe. I was panicking and for a moment I thought about backing out. But then, I calmed myself down and reminded myself why I was there. I remember my friend once told me that when we do something embarrassing on stage, we need to relax and no need to worry because they will forget me five minutes after the event.

I had made it to the final round not by accident, but because of my efforts, my parent’s prayers, and my teacher’s support. My broken shoe was just another challenge to overcome. So, I stepped onto the stage with my head held high, determined to focus on my presentation rather than my shoe and my crazy heart beat. I tried my best to focus on speaking about the topic that I got from the lottery box. Despite my nervousness, I gave it my all. I even managed a self-deprecating joke about my shoes because I was sure that more than a half of the audience noticed my broken shoe.

When the result came in, I had got 8th place—not a top spot, but I was proud of myself for the result I got under the circumstances. After the announcement, my teacher approached me with a warm smile. Instead of critiquing my performance or offering advice, she handed some money for me to buy a new pair of shoes. That small act of kindness and support stayed with me long after the competition ended.

Looking back, that day I learned a few valuable lessons. First, it is important for us to check our shoes before going to an important event. Second, when things do not go as planned just move forward and do not step back. Third, there is dignity in showing and giving your best effort. Last but not least, having the right people around will remind you that every step—even the wobbly ones—counts.