Popular....I was Popular!

1.) Your 15 minutes of fame.


The spring that I was in the 5th grade, we had a school wide art contest.  We were given several different materials, such as cardboard, yarn and construction paper and told to make a picture of our home.  This contest coincided with Fire Awareness Week and there would be winners, a plaque and a trip to a local fire station.

I made my project out of cardboard (for the roof) and yellow water color.  It was an exact replica of my house.  I also put a fireman's lader up to the front window because I wanted the firemen to know the best place to get into my house in the event of a fire.  Even at 10 years old....I was thinking ahead.

I won 1st place for the 5th grade.

There was an assembly and all five winners ( WINNING ) were brought up on stage.  They made a huge deal about it and we all ended up having our picture in the local newspaper taken in front of the  firehouse.

Suddenly....I was popular!  Everyone knew my name and would come up and talk to me.  The principal also knew my name and would chat me up on the playground.  I had more friends than I knew what to do with and I was invited to sleep overs and birthday parties.

In our class year book....everyone voted for me for Most Artistic.  This really pissed off the one girl in my class that really was artistic.  She could draw pictures freehand and could paint amazing pictures.  She hated me.  Sorry Holly.

Sadly, when school started in the 6th grade everyone had forgotten about my little art contest and didn't remember my name.  My 15 minutes of fame was over.