“In the sixth grade there was a boy in my class who had a steel plate in his skull and was always complaining how text answers could never get through to him. Our teacher would say, ‘Give me a break.’ In a way, though, the boy was right. Every human being on the face of the earth has a steel plate in his head, but if you lie down now and then and get still as you can, it will slide open like elevator doors, letting in all the secret thoughts that have been standing around so patiently, pushing the button for a ride to the top. The real troubles in life happen when those hidden doors stay closed for too long. But that’s just my opinion.” TroublesSixth GradeSecret ThoughtsSteel Plate Book:The Secret Life of Bees Source: The Secret Life of Bees