Writers 
I HAVE MADE A U-TURN
My name is Daniel. I was once a young boy with a bright future, but I nearly destroyed everything because of the choices I made.
When I entered secondary school, I was known as a brilliant and hardworking student. My parents were proud of me because I always came home with good results. My dream was to become a successful person who would help my family and contribute positively to society.
However, things began to change when I met a group of boys who introduced me to bad habits. At first, I thought they were only having fun. They encouraged me to skip classes, disobey teachers and spend more time playing around instead of studying.
Gradually, my academic performance began to fall. I started coming home late and lying to my parents. Whenever my mother asked about my schoolwork, I would tell her that everything was fine.
One day, my class teacher returned our examination results. I was shocked when I saw my score. I had performed terribly. The same boy who used to come among the best students was now among those at the bottom of the class.
I became angry with myself, but instead of changing, I blamed everyone around me.
Things became worse when I started following my friends everywhere. One afternoon, they encouraged me to do something I knew was wrong. I hesitated because I remembered my parents' advice, but I eventually followed them.
That evening, I returned home and saw my father sitting quietly in the sitting room. He had received a message from my teacher about my poor performance and my behaviour at school.
He did not shout at me. Instead, he looked at me and said, “Daniel, you are travelling on the wrong road. If you continue like this, you may regret it when it is too late.”
His words touched me deeply.
That night, I could not sleep. I thought about my old life, my dreams and the trust my parents had placed in me. I asked myself, “Is this really the person I want to become?”
I realised that I had made several wrong choices. I also realised that I still had an opportunity to change.
The next morning, I went to my teacher and admitted my mistakes. I apologised to my parents and promised myself that I would become a better person.
I stopped following the friends who were leading me in the wrong direction. I began attending my classes regularly and devoted more time to my studies. Whenever I was tempted to return to my old ways, I remembered my father's words.
At first, changing was difficult. Some of my former friends laughed at me and called me names. But I remained determined.
Months passed, and my results began to improve. My teachers noticed the change and encouraged me. My parents were also happy to see the new Daniel.
At the end of the school year, I came home with excellent results. My father smiled proudly and said, “I knew you could do it.”
I smiled and replied, “Dad, I made a U-turn.”
He asked me what I meant.
I told him, “I was going in the wrong direction, but I realised my mistake and turned back before it was too late.”
From that day forward, I understood that making a mistake does not mean that a person must remain a failure. What matters is recognising the mistake, learning from it and having the courage to change.
*_Moral: It is never too late to make a U-turn from the wrong path. A wise person recognises mistakes, corrects them and chooses the right direction.