In which my young athlete-self is unimpressed by her future self’s accomplishments: My journey from athlete to artist/writer is one of the main storylines in my forthcoming graphic memoir, The Keeper. I had so many misconceptions about what was possible—or not—for me and my future. I was interested in the literary and artistic life, but my identity seemed fixed: I was An Athlete. I played all the sports. My fourth grade teacher gave each person in the class a certificate: I was “Best Athlete.” My senior class voted me “Most Athletic.” In college I got a plaque: “Top Scholar Athlete.”