a shared body of knowledge
Catherine is telling me about a severely autistic girl who suddenly began typing at a computer at age 11. Her first and only words, crushingly, were "hurt help." Her parents seized on it and began to encourage her to type everything. She turns out, without any real schooling or instruction, to be eloquent. She has a Twitter account and a blog, using them often to communicate the experience of what it's like to be her.
Apparently, she thinks of herself as a normal, cute, sassy, fun person stuck in a body she simply can't control. When Catherine mentioned this to me, I said, "like Chris Theodorakis." She paused a minute, searching through her mental index, and finally brightened, saying "Yes! Exactly!"
One of the many things I immediately saw and loved about Catherine was that she had availed herself of the world of knowledge, and could call it to mind as I can. It's just a pleasure. It's something I'd always looked for in women, and rarely found, so when I saw it in Catherine the game was changed.
Speaking of games, I'll write more someday about The Westing Game, the book I was referring to. Aimed squarely at smart 10-year-olds, it struck me right to the core. I remember with utter clarity thinking, on reading its closing pages, I want to be remarkable. In some ways I have succeeded, and I'm thrilled to be paired with a remarkable woman.
Apparently, she thinks of herself as a normal, cute, sassy, fun person stuck in a body she simply can't control. When Catherine mentioned this to me, I said, "like Chris Theodorakis." She paused a minute, searching through her mental index, and finally brightened, saying "Yes! Exactly!"
One of the many things I immediately saw and loved about Catherine was that she had availed herself of the world of knowledge, and could call it to mind as I can. It's just a pleasure. It's something I'd always looked for in women, and rarely found, so when I saw it in Catherine the game was changed.
Speaking of games, I'll write more someday about The Westing Game, the book I was referring to. Aimed squarely at smart 10-year-olds, it struck me right to the core. I remember with utter clarity thinking, on reading its closing pages, I want to be remarkable. In some ways I have succeeded, and I'm thrilled to be paired with a remarkable woman.
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