Billy the breadman

Scientists and scholars often proclaim that a child's brain is like a sponge. As we all can agree, the comparison is simply stating that the brain of a child has a unique heightened sense of absorbency which, likewise of a sponge, can soak up anything in its parameters. Storytelling is a great exercise to help stimulate the development of children's imagination as well as cognitive receptors. When I recall growing up as a little boy, I did most of my reading on my own and it was usually at school. As proud as I was for having the urge to do so, one thing I lacked was the bedtime story. It seems to have valuable benefits for young children’s language development, and may also help their storytelling abilities and their understanding of others’ mental states. One day in the future, I plan on having kids of my own and because I didn't get to have that experience, I'll be sure to tell them the story about Billy the breadman.

Billy came from a bread family that all favored one another. They shared the same look, smell and in most cases even the same taste. Unlike the rest of his family, Billy was easily seen as different compared to the other loafs of bread. Billy’s family was the only bread served in a local grocery store in the city of rye. After a few years of proper development, Billy’s loaves were placed on the bread rack with the rest of his family for customer pick up. It didn't take much time at all to realize that no one wanted Billy's bread. When comparing his bread to the others, Billy noticed that his loaves did not have the same physical features and it did not smell the same. It didn't take long before Billy came to terms with his unique qualities. One thing his mother always stressed was how special he was and how important it is to have a sense of individuality. Once Billy became of age, he made a decision that would ultimately change his life.

Billy realized that he couldn't be happy in a place where he felt he didn't belong. As much as he loved his family, it was clear that he had to put himself in a new environment. Billy decided to move to a place called Pepperidge Farm. He didn't know much about the area but he remembered hearing stories about an uncle who fled the city of rye in hopes of creating a better life. He was told that his uncle was last seen in Pepperidge Farm. Before leaving, Billy made sure to say his goodbyes, especially to his mother, for they had a very close relationship. His mother said to him, “ If you find your uncle you will most certainly gain an understanding on why he left too.” The next day, Billy left for Pepperidge Farm in hopes of finding his uncle.

Upon arrival, Billy noticed that there was something different about the atmosphere. Everything seemed brighter, faster, and even bigger! The people seemed very nice and happy to be there. He was nervous and for a second he thought about turning back home. After a brief moment, Billy noticed across the street, there was a grocery store and unlike his home in the city of rye, this grocery store was huge. After gazing upon the building in awe, Billy decided to walk over and take a look inside. He thought, if his uncle was indeed still in the city of Pepperidge Farm there was a good chance that he may be there.

Billy walked inside and immediately went to the bread aisle. As he was turning the corner he fell to the ground in shock. Startled from the collision, he looked up and standing over him was an older guy with a big smile on his face. It was Billy’s uncle. His uncle shouted, “ Billy ? Is this really you? Or am I dreaming?”. Billy replied, “ Uncle Sean ?” as he stood up and hugged him passionately. They held each other for a brief moment in total silence, then Billy asked, “ why did you leave rye?”. Uncle Sean responded, “ take a look at me nephew” as he stepped back and stretched his crust wide. It didn't take long for him to realize that his uncle looked different from everyone in their family too! Then Uncle Sean replied, “ I left because of the same reason that led you here.” See Billy, we're all the same yet different in our own unique way, but certain places in life may not accept those who stick out of the collective bunch. You have to be okay with that, because you can't enjoy yourself if you don't accept who you are. The world is filled with plenty of people, animals and even bread.” Then he turned around and said, “Follow me, I want to show you something.” Billy followed his Uncle down the bread aisle and what he found put him in total disbelief.

He noticed that there were over a dozen different types of bread! Different size , shape, and color. Some had sweet smells and others were more naturally grained. Billy shortly grew a smile on his face. He knew that he could find a sense of belonging in this place. “So uncle Sean, people really like all of these bread selections?” “Of course, there is something for everybody and not everybody likes the same things, you find what you like and you stick to it.” Billy and Sean talked for hours, and at the end of the day Billy came to the conclusion that it's okay to be different, being different doesn't make you any less of who you are. The next day Billy decided to place his loaves on the bread rack. By closing time he was all out. It turns out that his qualities were special indeed but , someone still appreciated him for what he could offer.

THE END