Smart?

What is it to be smart? Is smart when you make good grades, but don't remember anything you learned when 3 o'clock rolls around? Is smart when you can pick up almost any musical instrument and figure out how to play every scale or even a song? Is smart when you're a parent, and you can sense when your child is in danger, be it big or small? Is smart when you're an athlete, and you develop a strategy in the middle of a game that makes you win? Is smart when you get a high score on an entrance exam? Is smart when you can tell when people are upset and know what to say to make them feel better?

Okay, maybe I got a little carried away with that, but what does it mean to be "smart?" My friend Yellie came over last night and said to me,"Gosh, it sucks to be smarter than all your friends." Which was followed by a laugh. Then she goes on to brag about her 28 ACT score, three points higher than my own wimpy 25. But intelligence is more than an ACT score. Sure, she can score higher than me on an ACT, but I have a higher grade in Spanish. It's not from her lack of ability; she gets caught up in how smart she is and thinks she's the best at it. Therefore, she should not need to study or do her homework. Who wins there?

She has natural ability, academically and musically. That much is the solid truth. I do not have much natural academic ability; I have to study a lot. Musically, ha! Might as well forget that one. My point is, intelligence is more than that. I'm not saying she's not smarter than me, she probably is. It's just not about an ACT score.

Okay, maybe all this is just to make myself feel better for not scoring higher on my ACT. But I STUDIED. I don't think she even did. I TRIED. Well, can't really get any scholarships for that. Poo.