When I was in first grade, I was a slow learner. Watching the other kids in my class grasp concepts quickly while I struggled was painful. At our school, we read Sam and Ann books. I was stuck in book 2 while many of my classmates had advanced to book 10. The smartest kid in the class was already in book 13. I was amazed that anyone could be so far ahead of the rest of us.

Every time a child moved up to the next book level, they were rewarded with a piece of candy. The day finally came when I advanced to book 3. I was thrilled! My teacher was proud of me too. She reached into her desk to give me a piece of candy but found that she didn’t have any left. After searching, she found a stick of gum instead. She handed it to me and said, “Leonard, I’ll give you this gum if you promise not to chew it until you get home.” I eagerly agreed.

Continue reading Stories That Made Me: Double Standards →