BALANCE - Documentary Short Film

Summary

The speaker recounts their high school experience, where they sacrificed sleep to graduate early and excel academically. This led to severe sleep deprivation, causing memory lapses and even forgetting their mother's name. The lack of sleep also triggered a pre-lupus syndrome, highlighting the importance of self-care. The speaker now aspires to attend law school, emphasizing the balance between ambition and health.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker set a challenging goal to graduate high school a year early by completing two years of work in one.
• 📚 They took rigorous courses like AP, pre-AP, and dual credit to accumulate college credits and push themselves academically.
• 🌙 They sacrificed sleep, getting only four hours a night, to achieve their goals, which initially seemed like an acceptable trade-off.
• 🎵 During a school band contest preparation, they experienced a startling lapse in time perception, realizing they had missed an entire performance.
• 🚗 Driving home, they continued to experience time gaps, which was terrifying and potentially dangerous.
• 🧠 The lack of sleep affected their memory and cognitive function, to the point where they forgot their mother's name.
• 🤒 Sleep deprivation led to a decline in their overall health, developing a condition called hypo complement II make urticarial vasculitis, or pre lupus syndrome.
• 💊 This immune condition means their body is attacking itself, similar to lupus, but not yet at the full-blown stage.
• ⚖️ Despite the health challenges, the speaker's goal is now to attend law school, showing resilience and a continued drive for success.
• 🔄 The experience taught them the importance of balance; pushing oneself too hard without rest can jeopardize long-term goals and health.
• 🎶 The script concludes with a metaphorical reference to the passage of time and the desire to remember and珍惜 the present moment.

Q & A

What was the biggest goal the speaker set for themselves in high school?

The biggest goal the speaker set for themselves in high school was to graduate a year early by completing two years of coursework in one.

What types of courses did the speaker take in high school?

The speaker took AP, pre-AP, and dual credit courses in high school.

How much sleep was the speaker getting per night at the beginning?

The speaker was getting probably four hours of sleep per night at the beginning.

What was the significance of the solo and ensemble contest in the speaker's high school experience?

The solo and ensemble contest was significant because it was a contest where each band member prepared and performed a solo piece in front of a judge, and it was a big deal in the speaker's high school.

What happened during the band practice that made the speaker realize something was wrong?

During band practice, the speaker blinked and missed an entire performance, realizing they were not just falling asleep but something was wrong with their body.

What was the terrifying experience the speaker had while driving home?

The speaker had bits of time missing while driving home, including nearly missing a stoplight, which was terrifying because they could have had an accident.

What health issue did the speaker develop due to lack of sleep?

The speaker developed an immune condition called hypo complement II make urticarial vasculitis, also known as pre lupus syndrome.

What is the nature of hypo complement II make urticarial vasculitis?

Hypo complement II make urticarial vasculitis is an immune condition where the body attacks itself, similar to lupus but not yet full-blown.

How did the lack of sleep affect the speaker's memory?

Due to the lack of sleep, the speaker's memory was affected to the point where they forgot their mother's name, Elizabeth.

What was the biggest thing that the lack of sleep stole from the speaker?

The lack of sleep stole the speaker's memories and sense of identity, as they had to figure out who they were without remembering parts of their childhood.

What is the speaker's current goal after realizing the impact of not taking care of their health?

The speaker's current goal is to attend law school, with the understanding that taking care of oneself is crucial to achieving dreams.

What lesson did the speaker learn from their experience with sleep deprivation?

The speaker learned that pushing oneself too far without taking care of one's health can have lasting negative effects and might prevent achieving one's dreams.