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In Peril

My English teaching colleague, the fabulous Kelly Dennis, has told me I have to write at least 150 words about the most perilous thing I have ever done. I'm at a loss. My life, thus far, has been lackluster in the peril department --- at least physical peril.  And isn't that what we think of when we think of peril? Peril: Great physical danger that makes you look like an action movie hero, hanging by your fingernails from the side of a cliff or jumping from one rooftop to another as a pack of rabid bad guys nip at your heals.  Problem is, I've never done anything that could be a trailer for an action movie. When we chose teams in PE class, I was always picked last. My large motor skills aren't exactly the things other teams covet.  Of true physical peril, I've had none that I can recall. Peril, for me, has always come from nowhere, utterly unplanned and unwanted.  Peril comes on a Sunday afternoon, when I'm reading the comics and my mom call
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The Last Supper My English teacher colleague, the fabulous Kelly Dennis, has told me to write at least 150 words on what my last supper would be if I were on death row. Well, first of all, let's talk about why I'm there. Clearly, there has been a horrible misunderstanding. We live in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin doesn't have capital punishment. That's such a funny phrase, "capital punishment." I read newspapers from the time I could read, and whenever I encountered that phrase I thought someone had flunked there state capitals test and was being punished. A nervous child, I thought the same fate awaited me. This is what led me in 1976 to write all 50 states on the soles of one shoe and their corresponding capitals on the other. It took me hours to do this. I don't remember what color ink I used, but I know I was motivated by not failing a sixth grade social studies test on the capitals of all fifty states. I found it ironic, even at age 11, that was I
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