When I was five and living in Madrid, Spain, one of my mother’s friends went to the States and brought me back a sixty four Crayola crayon box. I was enamored immediately with the wonderful box of perfectly lined up colors. And they smelled so good too!
I was a very organized little girl, and took great care of all my toys. I cherished my box of Crayolas. Used them all up until only unpopular colors were left, like Periwinkle, Salmon and White. One day, a friend of my mother’s who spoke English, pointed out that there was a “built-in” sharpener in the back of the Crayola box. Imagine what that kind of find means to a five year old kid? A sharpener? In the back on the Crayola Box? You mean I could’ve been sharpening all my Crayola’s this whole time with non other than….a built in sharpener?
What a heartbreak! I barely had any Crayola’s left and I had never used the built in sharpener.
This was a traumatizing experience for me. My favorite “toy” could’ve been better.
Now, as an adult, I always look for “sharpeners”. A sharperner can be anywhere. For example, finding out you can raise the car windows without turning on the ignition again…sharperner. Or finding out your scanner/printer is also a nifty fax machine… sharpener.
For old times sakes, I have added the link to the Crayola 64 box who recently turned 50 (well, two years ago). I don’t know if they have the built-in sharpener anymore. http://www.crayola.com/promos/64boxbirthday/colorQuizzer.cfm
