Lion's Roar

ACT 2: Initiation and Transformation

With new vision, he discovers a fierce courage. He roars—not in rage, but in truth. The hero finds his voice.

The Roar Inside Me

You ever wake up with a weird feeling, like maybe you're a lion in disguise? Yeah, me neither—until the Tuesday everything changed.

My name’s Leo. I live in a regular ol' town with a regular ol' family, and I’m about as fierce as a spaghetti noodle. But one day, I heard something in my head. Not voices (don’t panic), but a roar. Like, a real lion’s roar. It rumbled in my chest like a washing machine with sneakers inside. “The lion stirs,” it said. “Time to wake up.”

Now, I wasn’t sure if I was having a growth spurt or turning into a superhero, but I figured it was time to do something brave. So I did the most heroic thing I could think of—I raised my hand in math class. Boom. Just like that, courage: activated.

That’s when the signs started. A history test asked about Rome, and suddenly I imagined lions, empires, and someone shouting, “Et tu, Leo?” Then the teacher mentioned “bread and circuses,” which I thought was a new sandwich shop. But no, it was about how people used to get distracted by free food and gladiators while the empire crumbled.

“Don’t get fooled by the breadsticks,” I whispered to myself. “Stay focused.”

At recess, two kids were arguing about who was better—Space Dinosaurs or Robo Squirrels—and everyone was watching. But I remembered the lion’s roar. It wasn’t about being loud or bossy. It was about standing strong. So I walked up and said, “Can’t we like both? Robo Squirrels probably ride Space Dinosaurs anyway.”

Silence. Then cheers. I didn’t know it yet, but that was the turning point.

From that day on, I followed the roar. I spoke up for the quiet kid. I picked up trash without being told. I even helped my sister with her homework—and didn't complain. (Okay, maybe just once. I'm not a saint.)

And one night, under a full moon that looked suspiciously like a grilled cheese, it hit me: the roar wasn’t outside—it was inside me all along.

The Big Lesson

Being brave isn’t about being the loudest, or the strongest, or even the best at dodgeball. It’s about listening to your heart, even when the crowd is noisy.

Or as my Grandpa says: “Real lions don’t need to shout—they just show up.”

Roar on, friends.