There was a number three pencil that had the outward appearance of being identical to a number two pencil. A quick glance and one would assume there was no difference between a number two and a number three pencil. The difference is inside so to some it may be difficult to differentiate between the two.
The number three pencil was always aware of the dissimilarity. It seemed the number two was most prominent and the most sought after. The number three pencil was glad to be different than the number two. On occasion the number three would have a fleeting thought to be more like the number two but generally the number three was quite happy with being different. It felt secure and confident about its uniqueness.
It was free and inventive. It followed its own lead. There were no constraints or barriers being a number three, number two’s had specific and rigid performances. The number three pencil reveled in the simplicity of being nonpareil. The number three pencil cherished the belief that it was diverse and not a number two clone.
At times it was difficult not following the path of a much sought after number two pencil but the number three pencil lived for the chance to exceed and excel in its own parameters. Insurmountable odds against the number three pencil were dismissed.
The world perceived the number two pencil to be politically correct. The number three was not expected to conform to the acceptable standards of a number two pencil. So the number three pencil had the freedom to be whatever it wanted to be. It took advantage of that freedom but never abused or wasted it. The spotlight was always focused on the number two pencil so that left the number three pencil to become creative, efficient and self-reliant.
The number three pencil could write large, small, bold, wide, light and dark. The number three could write page upon page. Its cursive swirls and loops could swing high and low. There were no boundaries to constrain its productivity.
One day the number three pencil met an eraser-slash-pencil sharpener. The eraser-slash-pencil sharpener could clearly distinguish the difference between the number two and the number three pencil. The eraser-slash-pencil sharpener was somewhat of a rebel. It was not always cooperative or helpful but with some reluctance always came through. It was very sensitive covered over by its rough exterior so some could not see the sensitivity beneath the surface. The pencil sharpener side was rock solid and very sharp and cut with precision. There was a quiet arrogance surrounding the blade. Sometimes it held on to the shavings much longer than was necessary. It was both soft and hard with an edge of flexibility.
The eraser-slash-pencil sharpener was much more than it appeared to be. Its uniqueness was inside like the number three pencil and hard to detect. The eraser-slash-pencil sharpener felt a kinship with the number three pencil. The number three pencil and the eraser-slash-pencil sharpener formed an alliance.
The lead in the number three pencil began to wear down to the nub due to all the meandering across the reams of paper. The number three pencil was not conservative and did not have much self-control. The pencil sharpener end would restore the tip to the number three pencil so it could resume its exploration and endless journey. The eraser end would clean up the marks the number three pencil would make above and below the lines. In fact it somewhat kept the number three pencil in line without invading or compromising the integrity of the situation.
Mistakes appeared and corrections were initiated in a nonchalant manner. The number three pencil and the eraser-slash-pencil sharpener made a great duo. It didn’t matter to the eraser-slash-pencil sharpener that the number three was not elite or the much sought after number two. The eraser-slash-pencil sharpener accepted the number three for what it was. It never compared the number three to a number two.
The number three pencil accepted totally the help and insight offered by the eraser-slash-pencil sharpener. The number three pencil knew the eraser-slash-pencil sharpener was a double edge sword who could eliminate any pencil to a pile of shavings in an instant. The number three pencil was equally aware of the eraser end who could completely distort words. The number three pencil accepted the eraser-slash-pencil sharpener in its entirety. It understood totally the need for the hard reflective shell that hid the fantastic inner workings. The eraser-slash-pencil sharpener was the number three pencils’ best friend.