one of those golden moments.

As a child, I never learned how to shoot a rubber band.

I think a whole host of childhood instruction in fun and/or violent activities was not taught to me in my youth. I never learned to throw a frisbee or make a slingshot or a decent paper airplane or even do any of those tricks with shoelaces like "cats in the cradle" or "jacob's ladder." i'm not sure really how i missed out on all of these rather landmark moments in a kid's life. i find that in my twenties my lack of these seemingly useless yet time-honored skills have come back to haunt me quite a bit. often times, my little cousins will ask me how to do certain things, and i am forced to hang my head in shame and say to the young cubs, "alas, i know not how."

but today, oh today, kyle made my life brighter by teaching me how to shoot a rubber band. i've always been too embarrassed to ask anyone before. "hey, mine always hits my thumb [and hurts me] when i try it...." how lame is that? but he didn't judge me. he just said that i wasn't putting it far enough on the tip of my thumb to aim it proper-like.

so i was extremely excited, you see, to shoot a rubber band for the very first time in all of the 24 years of my life. unfortunately, i was so blinded by my joy that i didn't bother to aim it very well.... the rubber band sprang from my fingertips, soaring through the air with grace and ease..... my face lit up as do the delighted eyes of a child when filled with wonder at a new discovery....

that is, until the rubber band flew right over the cubicle wall of my boss and most likely landed on her while she was clearly participating in an important phone call. and just like that, my little bubble of happy was burst with the fear of reprimand and termination. soon they would all know my secret--that i am merely a child in a woman's body, forever seeking adventure and mischief in a world that requires me to be an adult against my will.