Question
You are advised to write between 350 and 500 words on the following topic:
Write a story in which missing a chance or missing an opportunity is central to the plot.
Model Essay
Missed Opportunity
Sarah had always dreamed of being an artist. From a young age, she spent hours sketching and painting, losing herself in the world of colors and shapes. Her room was filled with canvases, each one a testament to her passion and talent. However, the realities of life had always kept her dreams at bay. Responsibilities piled up, and art became a luxury she couldn’t afford.
Now, at 35, Sarah worked as an accountant, a job she found monotonous but necessary. She had a mortgage to pay and a daughter, Lily, to support. Art had become a weekend hobby, something she indulged in when time permitted. Despite this, the fire of her dream never completely extinguished.
One day, while scrolling through social media during her lunch break, Sarah stumbled upon an advertisement for a local art competition. The grand prize was a year-long residency at a renowned art studio, complete with a stipend. Her heart raced as she read the details. This was it—the opportunity she had been waiting for.
The deadline for submissions was in three weeks. Sarah decided to enter, determined to give it her all. She spent every spare moment working on her piece, a large canvas depicting a dreamlike landscape that had been swirling in her mind for years. She worked late into the night, her passion rekindled.
Days turned into nights as Sarah balanced her job, her responsibilities as a mother, and her artwork. She felt alive, energized by the possibility of finally pursuing her true calling. Her daughter, Lily, watched in awe as her mother brought the painting to life, often sitting quietly beside her, drawing her own little masterpieces.
The night before the submission deadline, Sarah put the finishing touches on her painting. Exhausted but satisfied, she stepped back to admire her work. It was perfect—a culmination of years of pent-up creativity and longing. She felt a surge of hope and excitement, imagining the judges’ reactions.
The next morning, Sarah carefully packed the painting and set off for the gallery. The city was unusually busy, with traffic crawling at a snail’s pace. Panic began to set in as she glanced at the clock. She had planned to drop Lily off at school first, but time was slipping away. She decided to take a shortcut through a less familiar route, hoping to make up for lost time.
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As she turned a corner, the car’s engine sputtered and died. She tried to restart it, but it refused to budge. Frustration and fear gripped her as she realized she was stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no immediate help in sight. She called a tow truck, but they informed her it would be at least an hour before they could arrive.
Desperate, Sarah called a taxi, but by the time it arrived, it was too late. She reached the gallery just as the doors were closing. The receptionist informed her with a sympathetic smile that the deadline had passed.
Heartbroken, Sarah sat on a nearby bench, her dreams slipping away once more. She thought of all the missed opportunities, all the times she had put her passion on hold for the sake of practicality. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She couldn’t let Lily see her like this.
When she arrived home, Lily ran to her with a drawing in hand. “Look, Mom! I made this for you,” she said, her eyes shining with pride. Sarah looked at the drawing, a vibrant and colorful scene reminiscent of her own style. She realized that while she had missed this opportunity, she had inspired her daughter to pursue her own creative dreams.
In that moment, Sarah vowed not to let another chance slip by. She would continue to paint, not just for herself, but for Lily, showing her that it was never too late to follow your passion. Though she had missed one opportunity, she knew there would be others, and she was determined to be ready.
Word Count: 667