Not Quite A Tomboy Length: 470 words I wanted to be like Emma. I wanted to be able to climb the tallest trees and swing from branch to branch like a monkey. I wanted to hold jumping spiders in the palm of my hand without feeling sick. I wanted to forget about my appearance, forget about the dirt on my trousers or the state of my hair and simply enjoy myself outdoors. But no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn't like Emma. One day, Emma, Brooke and I decided to go to the river for a picnic. We packed crisps into a basket and covered it with a blanket. We found some fishing nets and an empty plastic bottle. Then we set off. It was a beautiful day, the sun shone warmly on our bare arms and the blue sky reflected a beautiful shade of turquoise into the calm river water. We set up our picnic on the blanket by the edge of the water and took off our socks and shoes. Rolling up our trouser legs and carrying fishing nets, we waded out into the river. Millions of tiny goldfishes swam around our ankles and between our toes. It tickled. We caught several and put them into the plastic bottle with some water. The stones on the river bed were sharp and sore on my feet, and the water was perishingly cold. Still, I had to do this. Maybe I could prove myself to be quite a tomboy, like Emma. We ended up with thirteen fish. Or rather, Brooke and Emma did. I didn't catch a single one. We ate our picnic, packed the leftovers back into the basket and gathered up the blanket. Then we let the fish go. As we were leaving, I noticed a large oak tree lying on its side. I loved to climb trees. I couldn't just pass the opportunity. I swung my legs over one of the branches and used my hands to pull myself onto the thick, knobbly trunk. It wobbled a bit - I held tight. I climbed up the branch, my arms stretched out, as though I were walking a tight rope. As I neared the end I climbed up one of the smaller branches and sat with my legs dangling. The view was spectacular. The river water shimmered and glistened like diamonds in the sun's pleasant rays. The sun seemed to smile at me from the clear blue sky above. Little hummingbirds played in the long grass and horses breighed from one of the fields nearby. I was perfectly content and happy. 'I don't need to be a tomboy,' I thought. 'I can enjoy God's wonderful creation just as I am.' And from then on I just tried to be myself, and I was always happy.