Show and Tell

I guess that I would not be a successful art critic. Then again, maybe I would.

I woke up one morning when I was in first grade, remembering [at the last minute] that today was Show-and-Tell day, and I was one of the chosen to bring an item to discuss. I had been selected a week before, and neglected to inform my parents until we were practically on our way out the door.

My mother gave me the official mom sigh of exasperation, and mumbled something about how I waited until the last minute as she grabbed an item off of my dad's desk and handed it to me.

I looked at the thing, having no clue as to what it was or what I would say to the class once I was called. I was sitting in the back seat of the car, with this thing in my hand turning it one way and then the other. The object was brown, and about 9 to 11 inches long and made of iron. It had a tapered tip that came to a point, and a wider flat head on the other end. Somebody had welded six wires to it's long skinny part and a few pieces on the flat head of it to resemble a face and antennas. It looked like a grasshopper. It did not look very interesting to me, and it had been on my dad's desk ever since I could remember.

My mother must have been watching me in the mirror, because she asked me if I knew what it was. I looked at her and shrugged in kid-like manner and went back to examining the thing. She explained to me that it was a railroad spike that somebody made into art, and then went into detail about railroad spikes and how the railroad was built. I absorbed as much information as I could so I would not look stupid once I got up in front of the class.

My pending public speech was making me more and more nervous as I sat at my desk, waiting for my turn to stand up and show the class the thing; and tell them something about it and why I chose it to share with the class.

Once my turn came; I walked up to the front of the class, and just stood there, holding the thing at my side. I could not think of a single thing to say. The teacher, in an effort to help, asked me what I had brought today.

I held it up and said, "I brought this thing!"

"I see," she said. "Would you like to tell us something about it?"

"Um, It's art, I guess." I said. Then I handed it to the teacher and took my seat.

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03 Aug perotheus.com
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