I stood ready for any curve life threw with my pocket knife secured on my jeans.
Bright blue and red all purpose plastic,
Fischer Price's multi-tool for adventurous preschoolers.
No job was too big for it.
Twigs sawed, ropes cut, screws driven, and bolts tightened down.
The magnifier enlarged the bumps and shiny quartz in the sidewalk.
The measuring stick slowly measured boards two inches at a time.
Grocery store, daycare, vacations, I always carried my knife, just in case.

But then I started school.
Shiny plastic blades ceased to be cool.
I discovered the knife display at Westlakes.
Case, Leatherman, Victorinox.
More shiny metal blades and gadgets than could ever be used.
Whittling wood, sawing branches, cleaning fingernails, opening bottles.
I stand ready foe any weekend adventure with my knife secured on my jeans.

In a box somewhere in the garage is the Fischer Price mult-tool.
Outgrown but not forgotten.