Hi.  My name is Sarah.  I am nine and in third grade.  Even though you can’t see it, my mind is a set of file cabinets.

When I want to think about something, I find the cabinets on that topic, and I take the right file and paper.  I read the paper, and if I want to add a story, idea or account of my day, I pick up a red pen and write.  I picture this all happening in my mind.  For example, if I wanted to think about the article I wrote about my brother in a newspaper, I would go to my brother’s cabinet.  Or, if I want to write a story, I would find my story cabinet.  Let’s say it was going to be a story about a girl who was trapped by a dragon!  I would create a file cabinet and include a description of the characters and the setting.  That way, the next time I want to think about it, I would be able to find it!

My mind has not always been like this—it used to be unorganized, and I had trouble keeping certain thoughts out of my mind.

I started organizing my thoughts into files at the end of second grade.  The first night, I remember feeling surprised that I was able to do this.  I had some good and some bad feelings.  I felt more organized, but I wasn’t used to my mind.

Now, I am used to my mind.  I like it because I can remember more than most people.  I can organize my thoughts, and control what I am thinking about, unlike before.  I can also think about something as a part of two categories, which is good because I can see something from two different angles and I get more out of it.

I am different because I have a system for my mind that most people do not have.  It is also something that most people do not know about me.  When I walk around I may look like everyone else, but inside my head I have a huge world of file cabinets.