By Anthony

I grew up in a neighborhood where everybody looked alike. Everybody except me. Everybody had afros, cenrolls, pigtails, plaits. Why did I have straight hair and chinking eyes? Why did my first grade teacher, Mrs. Blankenship put me in the slow reading group when I knew and she knew I was smart? A could read the 8^th grade book just like Wesley Kilgore. Was it cuz the way I looked was it the way I acted? I had lots of friends but why did I feel the way I felt? One day my 6^th grade teacher Ms. Robinson, the meanest teacher in the whole wide world said – Anthony you are in the spelling bee. Who me? Yes, you. On the day at the competition I saw lots of kids misspell words that all would have too, but what do you know after 3 and  1/2 hours. Only two were left Troy Sigmond and me. Who me? Yes, me. As the judge pronounced my word Antidisestablishmentarianism, the only thing I could think was second ain’t so bad. Antidisestablishmentarianism as the judge wave the flag announcing me the winner, the crowd roared and I smiled from ear to ear as Ms, Robinson waved and screamed, I realized I always counted.