Alex’s inventions never started on purpose.
They usually began with a thought like What if… or This could definitely do something, which were both excellent reasons to begin immediately.
One afternoon, Alex put on his invention glasses. They were bright yellow and slightly crooked, which meant they were official. Pencils were tucked behind his ears for emergency thinking. He stood very still, because inventors had to look like they knew things.
The first occasion he had, he built Special Shoes out of foil and paper. And were not for him: they were a special gift for his parents.They had symbols on them so each foot knew where it belonged. Alex tested them carefully by walking around the house and making robot noises. The shoes didn’t make him fly, but they did make excellent sounds, which was almost the same. That was how they were supposed to be worn he instructed his parents.
Next came the Invisible Thing Hider, made from a sheet with writing on it “The Huge Hat”. Alex stepped inside it and became extremely hard to see, especially if you pretended very hard. He stood there quietly while the room stayed exactly the same, which proved it worked.
Finally, Alex built a Color Blender Machine using sticks, tape, and a cup. He pressed the middle and watched nothing happen. That was okay. Some inventions needed patience. Others needed snacks.
Alex sat down proudly next to his machines. Not every invention changed the world, but every one changed the afternoon.
And that felt like success.
“An invention doesn’t have to work to be amazing. It just has to begin.”
