Precocious Reader − 31 March, 1980

My mom always told me later on in my childhood about how she taught me to read early, at "age two and a half". And it's true, I was fully able to read and write by the time I got to preschool. That was one of the things I enjoyed doing most early on, reading. No, I wasn't immersing myself in "Moby Dick" or Dickens' "Hard Times" at that age; my reading consisted a lot more of comic strips like Dennis the Menace and Charlie Brown.

Still, I was a cocky little bastard when it came to my Mad Readin' Skillz. I'm sure I pissed off more than one kid in my elementary school by bragging about it. It probably didn't get me off to a good start with regards to my social skills, that's for sure. But damn could I read me some Velveteen Rabbit early on.