First of Many by Marco Antonio Bersani

It was my graduation party.
I woke up eagerly, anxious and sad at the same time. I mean, I obliviously felt happy because I was graduating from elementary school, but I was also going to miss my friends, since everyone seemed to be dispersing. We actually told ourselves that we’d never lose contact and when this thought came to my mind I just relaxed and enjoyed my parent’s good mood. Everything was perfect, it was MY day and nothing would go wrong.
Actually it would go better beyond anyone’s imagination.
My godparents weren’t able to come because my godmother was sick and my godfather had to take care of her. On the other hand I decided to invite some old friends of mine who were just like family to me, instead of selling the invitations. It was good anyway.
At about eight o’clock we left home and arrived at nine, tasting all kinds of feelings along the way. My parents were more joyful then I had ever seen them. They behaved as if I was already graduating from college! They were able to make people smile if they were at a burial, even a nasty one. I don’t reckon if I shared the same emotions, by this time I was getting really, really anxious.
In a matter of minutes I was at a trainees’ queue, waiting to get my diploma. When it was my turn I shook hands with all my teachers and took some photos. After everyone at the queue got the diplomas, the school’s principal took the microphone and told everybody she would call two students, a girl and a boy, who during the years at the school had stood out amongst others. I just managed to fight the crowd to get to my parents and guests when I heard my name. However I was yelled out loud, not by one of my friends, but by the principal’s! I couldn’t believe, I mean, there were people much more intelligent than me, it just couldn’t be. My mom pushed me to the principal when she saw I wasn’t moving. Disbelief was printed on my face. I walked slowly, astonished. Then I told the principal: "Why, why me?" and she answered: "It would be really stupid of your teachers to choose the most intelligent people, this prize is not for them, it’s for the ones who instead of being a shadow managed to shine, instead of being common, work hard to be as good as the geniuses ones. People shouldn’t be congratulated for being intelligent, it’s easy to be intelligent, since you’re born with it or not, but it’s not as easy to use it".
That’s how I was first in something for the first time and I learned that if hard working was the only way to be as smart as a genius, it would be the way I would choose. I really believe that if I keep that in mind, this would have just been the first of many conquers in my life.