It was 1961 and I was in the fifth grade.
It
was
1961
and
I
was
in
the
fifth
grade
.
My marks in school were miserable and, the thing was, I didn't know enough to really care.
My
marks
in
school
were
miserable
and
,
the
thing
was
,
I
did
n't
know
enough
to
really
care
.
My older bother and I lived with Mom in an ugly multi-family house in Detroit.
My
older
bother
and
I
lived
with
Mom
in
an
ugly
multi-family
house
in
Detroit
.
We watched TV every night.
We
watched
TV
every
night
.
The background noise of our lives was gunfire and horses' hoofs from "Wagon Train" or "Cheyenne", and laughter from "I Love Lucy", or "Mister Ed".
The
background
noise
of
our
lives
was
gunfire
and
horses
'
hoofs
from
``
Wagon
Train
''
or
``
Cheyenne
''
,
and
laughter
from
``
I
Love
Lucy
''
,
or
``
Mister
Ed
''
.
After supper, we'd lie on Mom's bed and stare for hours at the TV screen.
After
supper
,
we
'd
lie
on
Mom
's
bed
and
stare
for
hours
at
the
TV
screen
.
But one day Mom changed our world forever.
But
one
day
Mom
changed
our
world
forever
.
She turned off the TV.
She
turned
off
the
TV
.
Our mother had only been able to get through third grade.
Our
mother
had
only
been
able
to
get
through
third
grade
.
But, she was much brighter and smarter than we boys know at the time.
But
,
she
was
much
brighter
and
smarter
than
we
boys
know
at
the
time
.
She had noticed something in the suburban houses where she cleaned books.
She
had
noticed
something
in
the
suburban
houses
where
she
cleaned
books
.
So she came home one day, switched off the TV, sat us down and explained that her sons were going to make something of themselves.
So
she
came
home
one
day
,
switched
off
the
TV
,
sat
us
down
and
explained
that
her
sons
were
going
to
make
something
of
themselves
.
"You boys are going to read two books every week," she said.
``
You
boys
are
going
to
read
two
books
every
week
,
''
she
said
.
"And you're going to write a report on what you read."
``
And
you
're
going
to
write
a
report
on
what
you
read
.
''
We moaned and complained about how unfair it was.
We
moaned
and
complained
about
how
unfair
it
was
.
Besides, we didn't have any books in the house other than Mom's Bible.
Besides
,
we
did
n't
have
any
books
in
the
house
other
than
Mom
's
Bible
.
But she explained that we would go where the books were: "I'll drive you to the library."
But
she
explained
that
we
would
go
where
the
books
were
:
``
I
'll
drive
you
to
the
library
.
''
So pretty soon there were these two peevish boys sitting in her white 1959 Oldsmobile on their way to Detroit Public Library.
So
pretty
soon
there
were
these
two
peevish
boys
sitting
in
her
white
1959
Oldsmobile
on
their
way
to
Detroit
Public
Library
.
I wandered reluctantly among the children's books.
I
wandered
reluctantly
among
the
children
's
books
.
I loved animals, so when I saw some books that seemed to be about animals, I started leafing through them.
I
loved
animals
,
so
when
I
saw
some
books
that
seemed
to
be
about
animals
,
I
started
leafing
through
them
.
The first book I read clear through wasChip the Dam Builder.
The
first
book
I
read
clear
through
wasChip
the
Dam
Builder
.
It was about beavers.
It
was
about
beavers
.
For the first time in my life I was lost in another world.
For
the
first
time
in
my
life
I
was
lost
in
another
world
.
No television program had ever taken me so far away from my surroundings as did this virtue visit to a cold stream in a forest and these animals building a home.
No
television
program
had
ever
taken
me
so
far
away
from
my
surroundings
as
did
this
virtue
visit
to
a
cold
stream
in
a
forest
and
these
animals
building
a
home
.
It didn't dawn on me at the time, but the experience was quite different from watching TV.
It
did
n't
dawn
on
me
at
the
time
,
but
the
experience
was
quite
different
from
watching
TV
.
There were images forming in my mind instead of before my eyes.
There
were
images
forming
in
my
mind
instead
of
before
my
eyes
.
And I could return to them again and again with the flip of a page.
And
I
could
return
to
them
again
and
again
with
the
flip
of
a
page
.
Soon I began to look forward to visiting this quiet sanctuary form my other world.
Soon
I
began
to
look
forward
to
visiting
this
quiet
sanctuary
form
my
other
world
.
I moved from animals to plants, and then to rocks.
I
moved
from
animals
to
plants
,
and
then
to
rocks
.
Between the covers of all those books were whole worlds, and I was free to go anywhere in them.
Between
the
covers
of
all
those
books
were
whole
worlds
,
and
I
was
free
to
go
anywhere
in
them
.
Along the way a funny thing happened: I started to know things.
Along
the
way
a
funny
thing
happened
:
I
started
to
know
things
.
Teachers started to notice it too.
Teachers
started
to
notice
it
too
.
I got to the point where I couldn't wait to get home to my books.
I
got
to
the
point
where
I
could
n't
wait
to
get
home
to
my
books
.
Now my older brother is an engineer and I am chief of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.
Now
my
older
brother
is
an
engineer
and
I
am
chief
of
pediatric
neurosurgery
at
John
Hopkins
Children
's
Center
in
Baltimore
.
Sometimes I still can't believe my life's journey, from a failing and indifferent student in a Detroit public school to this position, which takes me all over the world to teach and perform critical surgery.
Sometimes
I
still
ca
n't
believe
my
life
's
journey
,
from
a
failing
and
indifferent
student
in
a
Detroit
public
school
to
this
position
,
which
takes
me
all
over
the
world
to
teach
and
perform
critical
surgery
.
But I know when the journey began the day Mom switched off the TV set and put us in her Oldsmobile for that drive to the library.
But
I
know
when
the
journey
began
the
day
Mom
switched
off
the
TV
set
and
put
us
in
her
Oldsmobile
for
that
drive
to
the
library
.
It was 1961 and I was in the fifth grade. My marks in school were miserable and, the thing was, I didn't know enough to really care. My older bother and I lived with Mom in an ugly multi-family house in Detroit. We watched TV every night. The background noise of our lives was gunfire and horses' hoofs from "Wagon Train" or "Cheyenne", and laughter from "I Love Lucy", or "Mister Ed". After supper, we'd lie on Mom's bed and stare for hours at the TV screen.  But one day Mom changed our world forever. She turned off the TV. Our mother had only been able to get through third grade. But, she was much brighter and smarter than we boys know at the time. She had noticed something in the suburban houses where she cleaned books. So she came home one day, switched off the TV, sat us down and explained that her sons were going to make something of themselves. "You boys are going to read two books every week," she said. "And you're going to write a report on what you read."  We moaned and complained about how unfair it was. Besides, we didn't have any books in the house other than Mom's Bible. But she explained that we would go where the books were: "I'll drive you to the library."  So pretty soon there were these two peevish boys sitting in her white 1959 Oldsmobile on their way to Detroit Public Library. I wandered reluctantly among the children's books. I loved animals, so when I saw some books that seemed to be about animals, I started leafing through them.  The first book I read clear through wasChip the Dam Builder. It was about beavers. For the first time in my life I was lost in another world. No television program had ever taken me so far away from my surroundings as did this virtue visit to a cold stream in a forest and these animals building a home.  It didn't dawn on me at the time, but the experience was quite different from watching TV. There were images forming in my mind instead of before my eyes. And I could return to them again and again with the flip of a page.  Soon I began to look forward to visiting this quiet sanctuary form my other world. I moved from animals to plants, and then to rocks. Between the covers of all those books were whole worlds, and I was free to go anywhere in them. Along the way a funny thing happened: I started to know things. Teachers started to notice it too. I got to the point where I couldn't wait to get home to my books.  Now my older brother is an engineer and I am chief of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore. Sometimes I still can't believe my life's journey, from a failing and indifferent student in a Detroit public school to this position, which takes me all over the world to teach and perform critical surgery.  But I know when the journey began the day Mom switched off the TV set and put us in her Oldsmobile for that drive to the library.