Itaughtmyselfhowtoreadandwriteagainduringthoselasttwoweeksofsummerwithmyher,RuthDay.Shewasdetermiokeepmeinsideorwithinearshotorinherlineofvision,andIhappilyobligedher.Reading,ofcourse,ismerelyassociatingsymbolswithsounds,memorizingthebinations,rulesandeffects,and,mostimportant,thespacesbetweenwords.Writingprovedmoredifficult,primarilybecauseoohavesomethingtosaybeforefrontingtheblankpage.Theactualdrawingofthealphabetturtobeatiresomeostafternoons,Ipracticedwithchalkandaneraseronaslate,fillingitoverahmynewname.Mymrewedaboutmypulsivebehavior,soIfinallyquit,butnotbeforeprinting,aslyaspossible,"Ilovemymother."Shewastickledtofindthatlater,aureearnedmeairepeachpie,notaslicefortheothers,notevenmyfather.

    Theyofgoingtosedgradequicklyerodedtoadullache.Theschoolworkcameeasilytome,althoughIenteredsomewhatbehindmyclass-matesiandingthatothermethodofsymboliclogic:arithmetic.Istilltusslewithmynumbers,notsomuchthebasicoperations—addition,subtraultiplication—asthemoreabstrafigurations.Elementarysdhistoryrevealedawayofthinkingabouttheworldthatdifferedfrommyexperienceamongthegelings.Forexample,IhadhatGeeWashingtonis,metaphoricallyspeaking,thefatherofourtry,nordidIrealizethatafoodisthearraanismsofanecologiunityacctotheorderofpredationinwhicheachusesthe,usu-allylower,membersasafoodsource.Suchexplanationsofthenaturalorderfeltmostunnaturalatfirst.Mattersintheforestwerefarmoreexistential.Liv-ingdependedonsharpeninginstinotmemorizingfacts.Eversihelastwolveshadbeenkilledordrivenoffby