Number One

Number One

By: Jill Nelson

I like this story by Jill Nelson. Jill Nelson and her family were living well for a black family back in the 1960s. Jill's father would have the family sit at the table for Sunday breakfast and preach his own version of the sermon. Jill's favorite Sunday breakfast sermon was the "Rockefeller wouldn't let his dog shit in our dining room" sermon. Her father was smart because he made Jill try to be number one all the time. For 15 years straight Jill's dad would preach to her and her family that number two was not good enough. Jill's father told the family to be the best at everything they do and don't take any mess from anyone. The Sunday breakfast sermon's left Jill confused, but she wouldn't never ask what he meant by that. When Jill's parents separated the Sunday breakfast sermons stopped. Years later when Jill was brave enough to ask her father what he meant about being number one he would act like he didn't know what Jill was talking about. That made Jill more confused. If my dad was repeating one thing without explaining it real good for 15 years straight I would have been the same way as Jill confused. When you're at a young age and your parents try to tell you something, but they don't explain what then mean you're not going to understand. Nobody can be number one all the time and that's a fact. Hopefully Jill will realize that one day.

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