Put a Smock in It

As part of a committment to include more tactile hobbies and non-drinking activities to my social calendar, I have signed up for a beginner's painting class at a local arts center. I'm taking it with my friend Katie, and I can actually thank her for creating the impetus to get involved.

Tonight is our first session, and I am like a kid anticipating the first day of school.

You know the feeling—you have your Trapper Keeper ready, filled with clean sheets of wide rule paper and color-coded folders, your pencils are sharpened and nestled in the pink plastic pencil box that you painted your name on the top of with puffy paint (so wishing you had an "i" in your name so you could dot the i with a big dollup of shiny paint), the new backpack's tags have just been removed, your lunch is made and waiting in the fridge in a plain brown paper bag, and the carefully chosen first-day outfit is laid out on the bedroom floor.

OCD starts early, people.

Anyway, dreaming of all the fun paints we'll use (I think we'll dapple in watercolor, oil and acrylics), I am feeling a bit nostalgic for one of life's greatest inventions: the Crayola 64 box, complete with a built-in sharpener. Not that you ever DARED to use that horrible contraption—no way. It would gnaw and chew up the precious crayons, and would damage the little wrapper that boasted fun color names like Burnt Sienna or Goldenrod Yellow. You just liked knowing you HAD a sharpener. When it was time for a new crayon because you'd had a good run on Pine Tree Green that month—or, DEAR GOD, one of the colors broke, I am pretty sure I weaseled and begged for a new box to replace the whole thing. That way I had backups for each color, you see.

I just love how the adorable crayons stand in those neat little rows, somewhat resembling a class picture. Each of them is perfect when you open the box, and the smell is something I'd know anywhere.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of this special invention, and Crayola celebrated the milestone with the introduction of eight new "Kids' Choice Colors." For you history buffs (that means you, Cox), the iconic box first debuted on the Captain Kangaroo show in 1958. Remember that show? Do you recall the lovely Mr. Green Jeans? Rest in peace, good man.

My love for crayons wasn't undervalued. My Mom is an artist, and therefore, appreciated the obsession with the perfect box of crayons. In fact, she must've talked about how much she loved them so much because on my parents' 30th wedding anniversary, my Dad (quite the romantic) gave her her own brand new box of Crayons. Yep. She was 53. I think it was her favorite gift ever.

And, I'd be willing to bet the sharpener is still unused. The (Fire Red) apple doesn't fall far from the tree.