Some time ago I made a major purchase. I gathered up my meager savings and walked ten miles UP HILL through the blinding blizzard to the general store. Once I got there I stood and admired the row of bright, shiny, new, pencils.
Ok, ok, so I drove to the ATM, took out 50 bucks, put all but 10 of it in my wallet, and went to Shaws. At Shaws I bought a few useful yet mundane items such as batteries, milk, tortillas, and yes; pencils.
I must admit I stood there and admired the abundance of school and office supplies; still in their wrappers and cases. No one had chewed the pencils, no one had let the markers dry out, and no one had crinkled the edges of the paper. There they were, ready to serve and protect. At least the box cutters were ready to protect, the rest were rather unprepared in that department.
I put a package of mechanical pencils in my basket and headed for the checkout. When I got home I took them out of their shiny plastic package and put them in my backpack. There they sat; all twelve of them. They made a nice little bulge in the side pocket, where there had been no bulge before. It gave me a feeling of confidence to know that I would not run out in the middle of a test or quiz. POWER WAS MINE!!!!!
I walked to school the next morning, as usual. I spent a little time throwing baseballs against the backstop on the field, then went inside. It was 7:40. I sighed and reminded myself to get a life. Walmart had good ones, I would be sure to stop by.
Pretty soon the bell rang and class began. Kevin leaned forward and asked “Milton, do you have a pencil I could borrow?” After a moment’s hesitation I said I did, and handed him one. A dead silence fell upon the room and all eyes turned toward me. I shrank back as the gathered crowd prepared to pounce. Brandon was the first to strike; “Could I have one?” he asked. I shuddered as I took out another pencil. It never had a chance. The requests flew fast and hard, till by the end of the period I was short five pencils. Kevin, true to his word, had returned the first, but there were many more.
We ran to our lockers in a vain hope of getting a book or two before the next class, but failed. The bell rang just as the doors came into view. We knew we were doomed.
We went to our seats and sat down. Before I had even reached my seat it began again; “Milton, could I have a pencil?” They didn’t even bother to say “borrow” now, they just took. “What happened to the last one I gave you?” I asked. “I lost it” they said, truthfully enough. By the end of the period I had lost two more pencils. I knew what would happen to them; they would be chewed, trampled, left under couches. I grit my teeth and let it pass.
The next day I made a major purchase. I gathered up my meager savings and walked ten miles UP HILL through the blinding blizzard to the general store. Once I got there I stood and admired the row of bright, shiny, new, pencils.
Ok, ok, so I drove to the ATM, took out 50 bucks, put all but 10 of it in my wallet, and went to Shaws. At Shaws I bought a few useful yet mundane items such as batteries, milk, tortillas, and yes; pencils.
I must admit I stood there and admired the abundance of school and office supplies; still in their wrappers and cases. No one had chewed the pencils, no one had let the markers dry out, and no one had crinkled the edges of the paper. There they were, ready to serve and protect. At least the box cutters were ready to protect, the rest were rather unprepared in that department.
I put a package of mechanical pencils in my basket and headed for the checkout. When I got home I took them out of their shiny plastic package and put them in my backpack. There they sat; all twelve of them. They made a nice little bulge in the side pocket, where there had been no bulge before. It gave me a feeling of confidence to know that I would not run out in the middle of a test or quiz. POWER WAS MINE!!!!!
I walked to school the next morning, as usual. I spent a little time throwing baseballs against the backstop on the field, then went inside. It was 7:40. I sighed and reminded myself to get a life. Walmart had good ones, I would be sure to stop by.
Pretty soon the bell rang and class began. Kevin leaned forward and asked “Milton, do you have a pencil I could borrow?” After a moment’s hesitation I said I did, and handed him one. A dead silence fell upon the room and all eyes turned toward me. I shrank back as the gathered crowd prepared to pounce. Brandon was the first to strike; “Could I have one?” he asked. I shuddered as I took out another pencil. It never had a chance. The requests flew fast and hard, till by the end of the period I was short five pencils. Kevin, true to his word, had returned the first, but there were many more.
We ran to our lockers in a vain hope of getting a book or two before the next class, but failed. The bell rang just as the doors came into view. We knew we were doomed.
We went to our seats and sat down. Before I had even reached my seat it began again; “Milton, could I have a pencil?” They didn’t even bother to say “borrow” now, they just took. “What happened to the last one I gave you?” I asked. “I lost it” they said, truthfully enough. By the end of the period I had lost two more pencils. I knew what would happen to them; they would be chewed, trampled, left under couches. I grit my teeth and let it pass.
The next day I made a major purchase. I gathered up my meager savings and walked ten miles UP HILL through the blinding blizzard to the general store. Once I got there I stood and admired the row of bright, shiny, new, pencils.
posted by Milton at 5:13 PM
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