I went through this phase where I would not answer a question- I’d either give the wrong answer on purpose or I’d just stand there with my  mouth frozen open- I think I resembled the screaming mummy remembering the looks I’d get when I did that:

Ok. I exaggerate but I just learned about Pentewere, the alleged treasonous son of Ramses III and I just wanted to find a way to work him into this post.

But the point is, I would play stupid. Nope. Didn’ t know the answer, why would I know the answer, dumber then a box of rocks- that’s me.

So why would I do this?

When I was about 10 I found a book about archeology and before you could say Akhenaten I was the biggest Egyptologist  Geek in the world. I Geeked over ancient Egypt the way little boys geeked over Dinosaurs the only difference is- yeah. I was a girl.

Anyway, years later King Tut went on a world tour and my Dad was talking to some of his his friends about it – I was there soaking it in and as they started to talk about the artifacts and mummies they would  speculate on something and guess who knew the answers?

So one of his friends kept asking me questions and I kept answering them and he said-

” Wow Anita. You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

From the look on his face I knew that was no compliment.

When my Dad and his cousin bought tickets to the exhibit there was no question it was not going to be  a party of 3- I opted out. I didn’t even ask. Instead I insisted on seeing KISS who was in town at the same time.

Honestly. I liked KISS but not more than King Tut.

But from that point on for several years I wouldn’t ask for help if I was on fire and if I was engaged in a conversation I would agree with you and tell you how right you are.

Even if I knew you were dead wrong.

Do you know how long I’ve been listening to people insist that Mars would stop spinning and then it would rotate BACKWARDS and that’s why or TV’s got messed up. I dunno, I think since I was like 11 years old. That’s 40 years of making humanity feel better about itself one person at a time.

So over the years I  have  played dumb less and less and the people in my life who knew me as the not so bright but really nice, good old Anita  really didn’t like it.

I spent several years being called a ‘smart ass’

And then one day I started owning my space and my smarts.

Here’s the point of this post: Being smart isn’t bad, being enthusiastic and  passionate isn’t something you should ever temper or tap back.

There are only so many minutes we get on this world and you need to make them all count.

Don’t  waste them like I did.