TWELVE

When I finally landed in kindergarten, at the Finderne Elementary School, I remember how I was so solemn. My mom remembers how I was the most willing of all four kids to go to school. I guess it was because I was eager to see where my siblings would disappear for so long everyday. Anyway, I was solemn because there were so many other children weeping for their mom. But I wanted to know what was going on. I also remember how I was reading before anyone else. I remember how they gave us a sheet and asked us to color the balloons. I was proud of myself that I knew what the words meant and all the colors. So I proceeded to color them. Then I made the mistake of glancing at the sheet of the child next to me. It was all wrong. She had colored in green instead of brown and blue instead of yellow. But she tried to correct it by coloring over it.

Later on, I looked at my sheet and discovered to my horror, that I had made the same mistake. Somehow that girl's sheet became my sheet. I think now in retrospect that she had swiped mine and gave me hers. But when you are a little kid, all you can think of, is how DID that happen? So I was confused.

Kindergarten was a relatively happy time for me. Lots of coloring and a lot of napping was what I remember. So not much to report for that year. Part of me wishes I had that video camera attached to my head, so I can drill back and relive a day from when I was little. I know I was pretty cute. When you are a little baby, people all coo at you.

I remember alot of people fussing over me, but then something strange happened. As years went by, people fussed over me less and less. It was disappointing. I liked people looking at me like I was a little cutie. Maybe that's why people become performers and why they want to be movie stars or rock stars. Because it's just like going back to being a little kid and having people fuss over you.