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