My first-grade class was doing a program on “The Alphabet.” I was starring as the letter “O.” I don’t actually remember anything about the show, but it must have been a great part. I mean — “O!” One of only five vowels. Not just anyone can pull off such a demanding role, I’m sure.
Well, the kids who were to appear as the letters of the alphabet were supposed to bring a white t-shirt from home. On the front of the t-shirt, we were to paint the upper-case version of our letter, and the back would be the lower-case version. I’m sure I totally forgot to tell Mom about the “bring a t-shirt from home” assignment. The morning it was due, though, I remembered. I looked through my clothes and couldn’t find a plain white t-shirt. Ah, but I knew that my sister Kate had a white t-shirt.
“Kate, can I borrow your white shirt?” I’m sure I asked her very politely.
“Sure, Anne,” she responded without a second thought. She didn’t stop to think about the fact that I didn’t wear the t-shirt that day, I took it to school in my backpack.
At school that day, I painted an awesome couple of Os on the shirt. When I brought it home later that week and Kate found out what I’d done, she flipped out. I remember that her reaction really surprised me. I think I figured that it wouldn’t be a problem since it was a school project. After all, it wasn’t my idea, it was my teacher’s. Well, at any rate, the t-shirt (or rather, the o-shirt) from that day forward was a part of my wardrobe. I have no idea of Mom ever got Kate a replacement white t-shirt, or if I even got in trouble.
Heck, I don’t even know if the performance was any good. How great can a show about “The Alphabet” be?
Epilogue: A few years ago for my birthday, Kate made me some presents at Paint Yourself Silly. One of the presents was a little ceramic t-shirt with a purple letter O painted on it.
Here’s a picture of me wearing the o-shirt:
