THE SILVER CRAYON

I was asked recently one of the most basic of questions. A questions that's figured out as early as we start becoming aware of our world and comprehending details. A question that every child has an immediate response to. What is your favorite color. Believe it or not, that question actually brings up one of my earliest bitter memories.

I was in kindergarten and we had to fill out little "about me" charts. One of which being the aforementioned question. So I gleefully scrawled my answers and impatiently awaited my turn to stand up and give my report. Working going down my list I finished with the color response.

"… and my favorite cartoon character is Batman. Um... and my favorite food is pizza and my favorite color is silver."

That's when the teacher spoke up in a booming voice.

"Oh no Chris, silver isn't a color. That's wrong and you can't pick that."

How could I be so wrong and why did I have to find out now in front of my peers? Could it all be a farce? I'm standing there in disbelief in front of my fellow classmates and panic mode sets in. Each of those little bastards like a ravenous jackal. Waiting for any weakness to exploit on the playground or in the halls. Giggling, squirming, tearing you apart with their eyes.

"Um… red I guess?" I squeaked timidly.

Red, my second favorite color. The same color that the chump next to me picked who later accused me of being a copy cat. But deep down in my little deviant heart, I knew better. I had a silver crayon at home! I learned that day that authority typed figures can and often are wrong. Thus, the seed of contempt for the powers that be was planted.