A CHILD GENIUS (well, maybe not)

CHRISTY AND TIFFANY,

(AUGUST 10, 2010) I must have been in the 4th or 5th grade when I got the call from a local TV station to be a contestant on their program "Kiddie Quiz." The station was in Oak Hill, W.Va., about 20 miles from Beckley. The only problem was that on that same night I had to attend a Cub Scout awards banquet, and I felt I couldn't miss that.

Well, the timing was worked out so that I could do both, but I had to wear my Cub Scout uniform on the quiz show. The game was set up with four kids whose name had been drawn the week before by 4 other kid contestants. Whatever the kid who drew your name had won the week before, the new contestants received also, plus the opportunity to answer questions and get more prizes.

A contestant was given a question; if that contestant didn't answer the question correctly, the next contestant got the same question until all four had had the chance - then the answer was given and the game continued with no one getting any points. I was the 4th contestants, and for the first 3 questions, the other 3 missed the answers, so I nailed the questions and got a prize for each correct answer. I sensed that the other three contestants hated me for "taking their prizes."

Now, as I think back, was it this peer pressure that made me miss the 4th question I was given? The question was how many states signed the Constitution. I thought for a short moment and answered, "13." The host of the show paused and asked, "Are you sure?" I said, "Yeah. There were 13 original colonies." The host said, "I'm sorry. The card says 12. I'll check it after the show and get back with you if you are right." The answer was, in fact, 12.

In answer to the question about peer pressure, I don't think so. I missed it. It was the only question I had missed all night. But still I had won some toy soldiers, a giant Tootsie Roll, some building blocks, a toy gun, AND all of the prizes won by the person who had drawn my name the week before.

Unfortunately, the contestant the week before was a girl. I won a Betsey Wetsey type doll, a tea set, and a Mr. Potato Head set. This was the first time in my life that I had done what is today called "re-gifting." I gave the gifts to my girl friend at the time, and she was pleased.

I went to the Cub Scout meeting, got my awards, took my loot home that evening, and was a semi-celebrity at school for a week or so. but fame didn't spoil me. Soon I lowered my nose, looked eye-to-eye with my friends, and became just "good ol' Dave."