Perfectland

Perfectland
By Patty Wade copyright 2002

Once there was place called Perfectland and in it Perfects were born, Perfects lived and Perfects died. There was a happy Perfect couple who lived in the village and before too long they had a PerfectBoy. Upon PerfectBoy’s birth, he was issued his very own PerfectBox. The PerfectBox was not only the prize possession of every Perfect, but it was a necessary part of their lives. The Perfects kept their PerfectBox with them at all times. All of the activities that Perfect life had to offer were to be performed inside their own PerfectBox. They played, they worked, they ate and they slept in their PerfectBox.
The proud happy Perfect couple loved to show off their little PerfectBoy laying in his PerfectBox to all their Perfect friends and neighbors. As PerfectBoy grew he had a hard time learning to play inside his PerfectBox. His vivid imagination took him on glorious adventures that unfortunately were outside of the PerfectBox. The Perfect neighbors were soon talking about PerfectBoy and the happy Perfect couple felt ashamed. “Can’t he keep his feet in the PerfectBox?” “Why are his hands flapping like a bird outside the PerfectBox?” “What are those awful noises he makes with his voice which echo out of his PerfectBox?” Soon the happy Perfect couple sat PerfectBoy down inside his PerfectBox and explained to him that he could only do activities that would be contained inside the PerfectBox. It was very important that he conform to Perfect society and do as every other Perfect.
And so, PerfectBoy stopped imagining and dreaming of adventures. Instead, he stuffed himself into the PerfectBox and learned to be quiet. As PerfectBoy began attending Perfect school, his mind grew and he loved to read and learn. He found the PerfectBox a little dark and cumbersome and at times he would lay the PerfectBox aside and stretch out on the floor in his Perfect schoolroom. The Perfect teacher was terribly distraught and met with PerfectBoy’s parents. “This PerfectBoy must learn how to conform to our Perfect standards.” “He must learn to stay in his PerfectBox.” “He must be like all the other Perfects before and after him.” And so, PerfectBoy learned to stay inside his box and his desire to read and learn darkened like the inside of his PerfectBox.
As PerfectBox grew, he dreamed of becoming a great leader among the Perfects, leading his people to new ideas and exciting possibilities. But alas, all Perfect Boys grew up to work at the PerfectBox company and make PerfectBoxes for all new Perfects and the same expectations were upon him. His spark of desire to change the world was extinguished by a soaking of reality of the Perfect society. Once again PerfectBoy learned to live inside his PerfectBox of expectation rather than exploration.
One day a great light shone inside the PerfectBox belonging to PerfectBoy’s mother. This great light helped her remember how her little PerfectBoy once was vivacious and adventurous. She remembered how he could laugh louder than any other Perfect and how he could take a perfectly boring day and transform it into a silly unforgettable escapade. She pictured in her mind PerfectBoy now stuffed into his PerfectBox. His Perfect eyes were dim and gray. His Perfect mind was content for he had conformed to the Perfect standard.
His mother found PerfectBoy in his Perfect school room and carried him outside and tore off the PerfectBox that contained PerfectBoy. The bright light that had shone in her box now was upon PerfectBoy’s body. A Perfectly amazing transformation began to take place. PerfectBoy stretched his limbs and grew tall. His back sprouted wings resembling a butterfly. The whole Perfect village gathered to watch this transformation. PerfectBoy changed into a magnificent being that could fly to the heavens, jump to the clouds and accomplish what was perfectly impossible to the Perfects. PerfectBoy was no longer PerfectBoy but had become something much better – a Potential. What could be more Perfect! Is your child’s Potential stuffed into a PerfectBox?