"Why Did I Do It?" by Kate Foray is a short, but sweet memoir with a great message. It begins with Kate describing a room, which was most likely the principal's office. The principal was questioning her on why she did what she did, but the reader doesn't know exactly what Kate did. Then, Kate begins to explain how second grade is the time to establish your identity and who you are. In this case, Kate chose books. Nobody noticed her love for books except for one boy, who would constantly tease Kate about her love for books, and if Kate would complain, adults would think nothing of it. However, Kate won't stand for this teasing and finally decides to defend herself. At the end, it is finally revealed on what she did, which was pushing the boy of the top of the jungle gym.
I found this piece to be adorable and still be able to spread a positive message. I found it admirable how she was able to stand up for herself because she was only a second grader, and second graders don't normally do things like this by themselves. The way she did it probably wasn't the best way to handle the situation, but it made the story all the more humorous.
One line that really left an impression on me was, "You choose the foundation of who you are through whatever defines the world as you see it." This line, which is one of the overall messages of the memori, stuck to me because I'm surrounded by a society where I must conform to its standards. Being different is almost like a crime, so this quite reminds me, and other people, that we all can choose who we want to be, not society and its standards.