Short story #1.

It’s all about me.

My grade school art teacher never approved of me.

I didn’t know that at the age of seven, my talent had surpassed his. I was a daily reminder of his mediocrity as I scribbled masterpieces on rough manila colored paper with a broken crayon at my desk.

Initially, my parents praised me then they discouraged me. Unaware of its contents, I had carried home a sealed note addressed to their attention. In the note, the art teacher had written that I might be better suited towards playing soccer or the piano. Better to crush my misguided artistic aspirations now than have my heart shattered at a gallery opening later in life. I have never recovered from this betrayal.

Desperate to remain unique and clever, I began to write my homework assignments in Russian which none of my teachers could read. And thus, I failed the second grade at the Pleasant Way Elementary School due to other people’s limitations.