Nick W and Greg A


Inspiration Piece
Nick Winkworth

“The Selection”
Greg Adkins
Response Piece

She had known about the Age of Selection since she was but a child. Now it was her 15th birthday and the time had come. She knew this was to be an important day, the day she became a woman and was chosen by her suitor to begin a life of servitude. So many questions were swirling around in her mind right now… Why did this keep going? What dictated that this was a tradition for the past 645 years? Was there ever a time when it wasn’t this way?

The words of her mother came through as she steadied herself and watched as each new person stopped by to observe.. Keep yourself straight, but not rigid. Look attentive, but not overly so. Remmeber that you are being evaluated, but you aren’t being forbidden to judge.

It never made sense to her why something to utterly archaic seemed to have all these fairness doctrines built-in. How could one truly influence their ability to be chosen? She looked up and noticed one shape had been there for an inordinantly long period of time. Not moving at all, very stoic. She wanted to run up to the glass and try to see her. Who was she? How old? where did she come from? What did she do for work? Was she nice? Of course, the questions weren’t an option. She simply had to stand with her back to the wall and wait for Gallery Time to close down and then wait the three agonizing days until her selection letter came and she moved to her second and final home.

The figure moved off and she was again left to watch the steady progression. Her mind still whirling with questions, but she knew that, soon, all the questions would be answered and her life would enter into its next phase. Oddly, this filled her with a certain sense of accomplishment and purpose. Taking in the sudden and heady feelign, she stood taller, more proud. One day she would make someone very, very proud.