Sparks Flew

As a kid I never passed up a dare.

Maybe it was because I was the ‘little sister’ and was always trying to keep up. Or maybe I was trying to prove myself.

Oh, who are we kidding, I did it because I was a jerk and as Bill Cosby says about kids, they’re all brain dead!

I was in seventh grade math class, being bored to death by the teacher. 

The ‘rowdy’ boys decided to fool around. They made a ‘device’ (for lack of a better word) out of a plastic pen and a brass brad. They bent the brad into a shape like a plug and pushed it into the end of the plastic pen and dared me to plug it into the outlet.

I grabbed it and plugged it in.

The sparks were AWESOME! They spewed out of the outlet like a beautiful fireworks display! I mean they SPEWED! Really far!

Admittedly, I might not have thought it through. 

After a moment of total shock and disbelief I thought perhaps I might have misjudged my decision and wanted to unplug the damn thing, so I grabbed the plastic pen and yanked. 

The pen came off leaving the brad in the outlet.

Now, before you worry about me reaching to pull the brad out I’m glad to say I wasn’t THAT brain dead! I knew better than to touch the METAL part.

Besides, after a few more seconds the thing blew the fuse and blacked out the school.

Problem solved.

Or so I thought.

The teacher was so angry with me he actually put me in an empty classroom ‘for my own safety’ until he could calm down enough to deal with me.

I honestly don’t remember what my punishment was but it must have been a doozie!