The Smart Cookie

Question 1

I live in a bakery on a street corner near a river.

Question 2

Come on in!

Question 3

Welcome to our little community.

Question 4

It’s a warm and supportive place to spend some time.

Question 5

Pretty fantastic, eh?

Question 6

These days, life is sweet.

Question 7

But my journey wasn’t always a cakewalk.

Question 8

When I was younger, I couldn’t have imagined fitting in here.

Question 9

For a long time, I didn’t feel comfortable speaking up or sharing my ideas.

Question 10

Like this: AHA!

Question 11

Looking back, I had some trouble in my early days.

Question 12

I went to school in a gingerbread house.

Question 13

When I arrived each morning, she’d wave at me and smile.

Question 14

But I didn’t get the best grades.

Question 15

And I never raised my hand, because I couldn’t think of the answers as fast as the others.

Question 16

And I was the last to finish most tests.

Question 17

It wasn’t because I didn’t care.

Question 18

And it wasn’t because I didn’t try.

Question 19

Sometimes, I’d get distracted and mess up, even though I knew the material.

Question 20

Those were the most frustrating moments of all.

Question 21

Once, I misspelled the word “dough.”

Question 22

That was rough!

Question 23

Another time, I added when I meant to subtract!

Question 24

Occasionally, we’d have a lesson where I had absolutely no idea what was happening.

Question 25

I just couldn’t keep up.

Question 26

I imagined that my desk was a raft and that I was completely lost at sea.

Question 27

Because that’s what it felt like.

Question 28

I had about six-dozen roommates.

Question 29

No you move.

Question 30

I’d stay awake and stare out the window and worry.

Question 31

And it went this way, day after day after day.

Answer 31

The Smart Cookie

Question 32

But then something happened that changed everything.

Question 33

It all started with a homework assignment.

Question 34

Tonight I would like you to create something completely original, she announced.

Question 35

It can be anything you want.

Question 36

Please bring it to class tomorrow.

Question 37

There were no further instructions.

Question 38

I felt like I had a million butterflies in my stomach.

Question 39

When I got home, I immediately went to work.

Question 40

At first I tried a cooking project.

Question 41

The results were….half-baked.

Question 42

Next I tried to hammer and nail something.

Question 43

It splintered immediately.

Question 44

Then I tried making a sculpture.

Question 45

It was a complete bust!

Question 46

I wondered if I was about to fail yet another assignment.

Question 47

I stared out the window and watched the rain hit the river.

Question 48

There was something mesmerizing about the water-

Question 49

how it moved in such a chaotic way, swirling around and around, yet ultimately figuring out exactly where it needed to go.

Question 50

Suddenly I had an idea.

Question 51

I decided to write something original.

Question 52

A poem!

Question 53

I came up with a title, based on how I’d been feeling: “My Crumby Days”

Question 54

After that, the rest of it seemed to fall into place.

Question 55

I lost track of time.

Question 56

An hour went by in a flash.

Question 57

But it wasn’t because I was worried.

Question 58

It was because I was excited.

Question 59

I felt like I had really accomplished something.

Question 60

One kid showed off his original frosting art.

Question 61

Another kid revealed her sprinkle distribution machine.

Question 62

It was neat seeing how everyone was good at such different things.

Question 63

Would you like to share anything? she asked.

Question 64

I thought I’d probably crumble under the pressure.

Question 65

But I made my way to the front of the classroom.

Question 66

I noticed my hands were shaking.

Question 67

My mouth went dry.

Question 68

And then I read it aloud.

Question 69

As I spoke I noticed some kids nodding at certain lines.

Question 70

Other kids laughed at parts that were supposed to be funny.

Question 71

As I built toward the finale, I felt myself becoming more confident and animated.

Question 72

And, in the end, everybody clapped and cheered!

Question 73

I promise you this: I’ll never, ever forget it.

Question 74

No one but you could’ve written that poem, she said.

Question 75

It was completely original.

Question 76

I’d created something and shared it with the world.

Question 77

The rest of the day was a blur.

Question 78

By recess, I was already planning my next poem.

Question 79

I would call it “My Sweet Morning”

Question 80

It said that I should keep on writing, no matter what.

Question 81

That meant so much to me.

Question 82

School was a bit different after that.

Question 83

I wasn’t so scared to raise my hand or ask a question…or share my work.

Question 84

Sure, some things still don’t come as easily for me as they do for others.

Question 85

You don’t have to have the answers to every question or suddenly be great at everything, all at once.

Question 86

You just need a chance to try all kinds of things, to find out who you are and what you like to do.

Question 87

As for me, I learned that I can write and I can think up great ideas.

Question 88

And I’ve found plenty of other things I’m good at, too.

Question 89

I no longer feel lost at sea.

Question 90

It’s more like floating down a river.