Kai’s Rolling Start

Kai stood at the top of the hill with his homemade cart. It was made of wood, old wheels, and a lot of hope. He wanted to race it down the hill like the others—but something held him back. Not fear exactly. More like doubt, sitting quietly in his chest.

Mr. Darnell, the science teacher, had once talked about something called *momentum*. 'An object in motion stays in motion,' he had said. 'It builds speed as it goes. But first, it needs a push.'

Kai thought about that as he looked down the hill. Maybe confidence worked the same way. Maybe you didn’t need to feel fast or brave at the start. Maybe you just needed a little motion—a gentle push—to get going.

He placed both hands on the cart and gave a soft shove. At first, it rolled slowly, creaking and wobbling. But then, the wheels caught. The cart straightened. The wind brushed his face. The doubt didn’t disappear, but it got smaller. The cart was moving—and so was Kai.

By the time he reached the bottom, he was laughing. He didn’t win the race. That wasn’t the point. He had started. And like momentum, that was enough to keep him going.