Written by 7th Grade Cameron

Ninja Turtles is a comic book/TV/movie series. The series started in 1984. Of course I wasn’t around for most of Ninja Turtles existence, yet it was still a major part of my life. It was like 60% of my entertainment as a wee lad. My favorite was Donatello because he was what I aspired to be. Many times my Dad and I would go on walks together, and I would try to find the biggest stick possible. I would twirl the stick around and hit the air while yelling, “I’m DONATELLO!” The entire neighborhood watched with joy as I pranced through the streets full of pure bliss. Just that show alone brought me so much joy, but being able to act like my favorite character multiplied it tenfold.

This fictional character made me happier, and just more excited. His way of being the one thing the team needs to work together is amazing. If you removed any other turtle they would still work well together, but remove Donatello and the entire tower collapses. He is the bottom of the tower supporting everyone else.

In fourth grade there was one friend named Amilie who was transitioning and changing his name to Alex. One day we were all outside having a great time at recess, running around and chatting, when Alex had to go talk to the teacher about how their new name is Alex. Our teacher was nice, funny, and shared interests with a lot of his students, including me. He would always help us get through our problems like no other teacher could. He was beloved by everyone, so Alex thought this would be an easy thing to tell him. So he walked over to our teacher and said, “Hey Mr. ——— , my new preferred name is Alex.”

Our teacher replied in the most horrific way possible: “Show me the legal paperwork or I’ll never call you that!” Alex tried to persuade our teacher, but it wasn’t possible.

Alex came back over towards us, tears dripping down his face with a destroyed spirit. Alex was already going through a lot during that time with some personal things. Because of what he was going through, I helped him get through the problems the next couple days. I also helped him confront our teacher, and Alex finally got him to accept him for who he was, because Alex now had a lot more confidence.

I would say this is a good example of me trying to be helpful to a friend in need, having to think quickly under pressure, and defending my friends, which is what Donatello does on a daily basis. Because of Donatello’s influence on me, I helped my friend get through those tough times. This TV series has made THOUSANDS of peoples lives better, including my own. This work of art made me who I am, and it will make me who I want to become. So if you have the chance, WATCH TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES!