The Smart Cookie Flashcards
I live in a bakery on a street corner near a river.
The Smart Cookie
Come on in!
The Smart Cookie
It’s a warm and supportive place to spend some time.
The Smart Cookie
When I was younger, I couldn’t have imagined fitting in here.
The Smart Cookie
For a long time, I didn’t feel comfortable speaking up or sharing my ideas.
The Smart Cookie
These days, life is sweet.
The Smart Cookie
Looking back, I had some trouble in my early days.
The Smart Cookie
When I arrived each morning, she’d wave at me and smile.
The Smart Cookie
And I never raised my hand, because I couldn’t think of the answers as fast as the others.
The Smart Cookie
And I was the last to finish most tests.
The Smart Cookie
Sometimes, I’d get distracted and mess up, even though I knew the material.
The Smart Cookie
Once I misspelled the word “dough.”
The Smart Cookie
Occasionally, we’d have a lesson where I had absolutely no idea what was happening.
The Smart Cookie
Something original? Due tomorrow?!
The Smart Cookie
Welcome to our little community.
The Smart Cookie
Pretty fantastic, eh?
The Smart Cookie
But my journey wasn’t always a cakewalk.
The Smart Cookie
Like this: AHA!
The Smart Cookie
I went to school in a gingerbread house.
The Smart Cookie
But I didn’t get the best grades.
The Smart Cookie
It wasn’t because I didn’t care.
The Smart Cookie
And it wasn’t because I didn’t try.
The Smart Cookie
Those were the most frustrating moments of all.
The Smart Cookie
That was rough!
The Smart Cookie
Another time, I added when I meant to subtract.
The Smart Cookie
I just couldn’t keep up.
The Smart Cookie
I imagined that my desk was a raft and that I was completely lost at sea.
The Smart Cookie
Because that’s what it felt like.
The Smart Cookie
I had about six-dozen roommates.
The Smart Cookie
Move.
The Smart Cookie
You move.
The Smart Cookie
No, you move.
The Smart Cookie
Sigh
The Smart Cookie
I’d stay awake and stare out the window and worry.
The Smart Cookie
And it went this way, day after day after day.
The Smart Cookie
But then something happened that changed everything.
The Smart Cookie
It all started with a homework assignment.
The Smart Cookie
“Tonight I would like you to create something completely original,” she announced.
The Smart Cookie
“It can be anything you want”
The Smart Cookie
“Please bring it to class tomorrow”
The Smart Cookie
That was it.
The Smart Cookie
There were no further instructions.
The Smart Cookie
I felt like a had a million butterflies in my stomach.
The Smart Cookie
Create anything?
The Smart Cookie
Gulp!
The Smart Cookie
When I got home, I immediately went to work.
The Smart Cookie
At first I tried a cooking project.
The Smart Cookie
The results were…half-baked.
The Smart Cookie
Next I tried to hammer and nail something.
The Smart Cookie
It splintered immediately.
The Smart Cookie
Then I tried making a sculpture.
The Smart Cookie
It was a complete bust!
The Smart Cookie
I wonder if I was about to fail yet another assignment.
The Smart Cookie
I was stuck.
The Smart Cookie
I stared out the window and watched the rain hit the river.
The Smart Cookie
There was something mesmerizing about the water - how it moved in such a chaotic way, swirling around and around, yet ultimately figuring out exactly where it needed to go.
The Smart Cookie
Suddenly I had an idea.
The Smart Cookie
I decided to write something original.
The Smart Cookie
A poem!
The Smart Cookie
I came up with a title, based on how I was feeling: “My Crumby Days.”
The Smart Cookie
After that, the rest of it seemed to fall into place,
The Smart Cookie
I wrote. And I wrote.
The Smart Cookie
I lost track of time.
The Smart Cookie
An hour went by in a flash.
The Smart Cookie
AHA! I said when I was finished.
The Smart Cookie
I couldn’t sleep that night.
The Smart Cookie
But it wasn’t because I was worried.
The Smart Cookie
It was because I was excited.
The Smart Cookie
I felt like I had really accomplished something.
The Smart Cookie
I felt…smart.
The Smart Cookie
One kid showed off his original frosting art.
The Smart Cookie
Another kid revealed her sprinkle distribution machine.
The Smart Cookie
It was neat seeing how everyone was good at such different things.
The Smart Cookie
“Would you like to share anything?” she asked.
The Smart Cookie
“Gulp!” I gulped.
The Smart Cookie
I thought I would probably crumble under the pressure.
The Smart Cookie
But I made my way to the front of the classroom.
The Smart Cookie
I noticed my hands were shaking.
The Smart Cookie
My mouth went dry.
The Smart Cookie
“This poem is called ‘My Crumby Days,’” I said, my voice cracking.
The Smart Cookie
And then I read it aloud.
The Smart Cookie
As I spoke, I noticed some kids nodding at certain lines.
The Smart Cookie
Other kids laughed at parts that were supposed to be funny.
The Smart Cookie
As I built toward the finale, I felt myself becoming more confidant and animated.
The Smart Cookie
And in the end, everybody clapped and cheered!
The Smart Cookie
I promise you this: I’ll never, ever forget it.
The Smart Cookie
“No one but you could’ve written that poem,” she said.
The Smart Cookie
“It was completely original.”
The Smart Cookie
I had done it.
The Smart Cookie
I’d created something and shared it with the world.
The Smart Cookie
Well…my world, at least.
The Smart Cookie
The rest of the day was a blur.
The Smart Cookie
By recess, I was already planning my next poem.
The Smart Cookie
I would call it “My Sweet Morning.”
The Smart Cookie
“AHA!” I thought when I came up with the title.
The Smart Cookie
It said I should keep on writing, no matter what.
The Smart Cookie
That meant so much to me.
The Smart Cookie
School was a bit different after that.
The Smart Cookie
I wasn’t so scared to raise my hand or ask a question…or share my work.
The Smart Cookie
But now I know you can be smart in many different ways.
The Smart Cookie
You don’t have to have the answers to every question or suddenly be great at everything, all at once.
The Smart Cookie
You just need a chance to try all kinds of things, to find out who you are and what you like to do.
The Smart Cookie
As for me, I learned that I can write and I can think up great ideas.
The Smart Cookie
And I’ve found plenty of other things I’m good at, too.
The Smart Cookie
I no longer feel lost at sea.
The Smart Cookie
It’s more like floating down a river.
The Smart Cookie
And the best part is: There’s always more to learn!
The Smart Cookie
