A Yellow Crayon

Artwork in crayon by Saugus resident and artist Naomi Young. Courtesy photo
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By Naomi Young, Saugus Community Contributor

I’m feeling very proud right now but a little uncomfortable too. It wasn’t my idea at all! I’m only seven and a half years old and I’m in first grade at school.  This morning my teacher asked me to go and read in front of the third graders at my elementary school. Why, why do I need to do that? Just because I’m a good reader I need to show off for her so she’ll look good? Who does she think she is? What do I get out of it?

All these questions are going through my mind.  Before I know it she’s leading me to that classroom. I’m standing in front of all these staring faces. I’m petite, very shy and feeling insecure. What if I make a mistake reading a big word? What if they make fun of my skirt that’s a little too big on me?  To my surprise, I’m reading in front of them a paragraph from a book and I’m reading it very well. Everybody is very impressed by my reading. I feel so relieved! I am ready to get out of there as soon as I can, but my teacher is asking me to choose between a color pencil and a yellow crayon, as a reward.  I am so excited!

I chose the yellow crayon!

I have never had a crayon of my own! That meant so much to me. Yes, it meant a lot to that little girl who did not have a crayon to her name.  Today when I look at all the varieties of pastel, acrylics and oil paints, canvases, paintbrushes, watercolors, color pencils and of course crayons I own in every color there is, I smile and think how that yellow crayon opened the door to my imagination and created the artistic creative child that I am today.

And it all started with that little yellow crayon…

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