Fuchsia

Crayons – these little sticks of color made creativity possible for me as a child. Every kid had a box. However, not every kid had the 64 pack. I did. This was not your typical pack of 12 hues that included only the basic colors. This went even beyond your 24 pack or 48 pack. This was the monster of crayon boxes. 64 different variations of color - brick red, burnt sienna, chartreuse, carnation pink, jungle green, and midnight blue just to name a few. With this vast color selection, you were sure to create a unique work of art, or at least one heck of a rainbow.

I could color for hours, taking great care not to let my crayon wander outside of the thick, black boundary lines or onto my mom’s beautiful kitchen table. One time, however, my dad let us draw on the 2x4 studs that were forming the framework for our new bedrooms. Inside my walls, you would have found cute pictures of flowers, suns, and small houses. I also plastered my name everywhere, with a backwards ‘s’ because I had not yet mastered the complex curves.

Ahh… to color again. Some days I wish for the simplicity of coloring books and crayons. I wish for the days when 64 was a huge number, a vast array of selection, an excitement that lasted throughout the day.

Recently thoughts of my 64 pack have crept back into my mind as my sister, Angie, and I have laughed over silly mistakes we have made. Have you ever heard the saying, “She’s not the brightest crayon in the box.”? Well, we never claimed to be. We toss out the names of several memorable colors - especially the brightest ones in the box - and whenever we experience ditzy moments, we announce… “I never claimed to be Fuchsia.” I’m glad the colors are coming in handy these days.