I remember the sinking feeling in my stomach when the talent show was announced for my 6th grade class. I sat at my desk staring blankly at the wall, flipping through mental tabs, hoping something, anything would stand out. I couldn’t sing well, no musical instrument, no weird double-jointed elbow, no dancing, cartwheeling, joke telling. I came up empty.

 I sat in the audience of the talent show weeks later thoroughly impressed by my classmates and distinctly aware that everyone had something special but me…