When I was a kid, I had a bookmark that had a goofy little phrase on it.

“Be alert. The world needs all the lerts it can get.”

I remember it exactly. The illustration was an egg with some light coming out from inside–I think you could see some little eyes. It was supposed to be some kind of hatching ‘lert’ I think. The bookmark was kind of light blue, light yellow, and white with red lettering. I’ve included an illustration here for you. I’d love to find someone with this bookmark to see how accurate my depiction is.

Be Alert!

The point is, why does my brain keep this goofy little bookmark in long-term storage? Maybe it would be more useful to fill that space with some of the meaningful quotes I’ve heard from people over the years. I’d rather be able to remember everything I’ve learned in High School German class. I think I could benefit from knowing all the songs I’ve ever played on the piano by memory.

But instead, I remember this bookmark so that whenever ANYONE says “Be Alert” I instantly think, like a 4th grader, “because the world needs all the lerts it can get, right?”