february 17, 1996


dear daisy,

do you remember those days in grammar school when we didn't have enough money for me to buy lunch at school? so you would make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut off all the edges, put in a dill pickle and a sugar cookie. now, the milk part was tricky, 'cause everybody else lined up to buy their milk with their little nickel in their little hands and there i sat at the cafeteria table. but while they were all in line not lookin', i took out the beautiful china plate and crystal goblet you had gotten for your wedding, and by the time my friends got back to the cafeteria table, there i sat like a king with my lunch laid out before me. and i even had a linen napkin. i told all my friends that water was good for the skin ... better than milk ... that milk should be used to bathe in (got that from miss mary who used to iron for us). anyway, before you knew it, every little follower was following, and you've never seen so many sets of china in a school cafeteria in your life. i think we even made the "weekly reader" nationwide. ah yes, all great creativity comes from the lack of something. i hope i never have everything.

love,

jerry

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