How a Criminal Became an Artist
When I was 5 years old I stole a box of crayons from St. Vincent de Paul kindergarten in San Francisco, where my family lived. Our house was literally right next door to the school and when I arrived home that day my mother noticed a large rectangular bulge under my sweater. When she asked what it was, I lied and told her Sister Theresa loaned me a box of crayons to take home for the weekend. However, I have the bad fortune of turning beet red when I lie and with a block of contraband conspicuously outlined beneath my sweater, my mother was instantly suspicious and walked me right back over to the classroom. My mother asked Sister Theresa if she did, indeed, loan me the crayons, but before she could finish the sentence I started bawling my eyes out. I admitted that I’d lied because my little box of crayons didn’t have the gold and silver ones and I really, really needed the gold one especially. The sister walked me and my mom into her office where I expected to be punished. Instead s