Born in California before the internet, I learned to read a book mostly on my own. The memory of my realizing I could read, was when I saw in a book, an illustration of a red ball and the four letter word "Ball" and then the next page, "Red Ball" my first sentence. My mind had gained a key to opening doors. I am Deaf, but words no longer remained a far off language I could not grasp, the world was mine. I have never looked back since.