The Extra Mile - Spring 2009 - SNHU Academic Archive - Southern ...

Dear Nicholas,It is strange to get to write this letter toyou from the future – I know that at 11you already believe time travel impossible,but please don’t worry about thatand just read this.You are used to a pretty unpredictableworld already. Growing up moving todifferent countries every few years willdo that, and where you are right now inItaly is certainly leaving a mark, whatwith Red Brigade terrorists killing majorpoliticians and bomb scares at schoolevery few weeks. Nonetheless, you havea sense of personal safety and comfort …life might be a bit crazy out there, butat home and in your semi-mythologicalhomeland of Canada, you know thateverything is safe, predictable and stable.You learned to read when you were 7, butsomehow being way behind your fellowstudents (they stuck you in grade threeclasses in the British school in Rometo be with your age-mates) did not dentyour confidence much. You just learnedto read “Dick and Jane” and went on tothe encyclopedia – but somehow younever could figure out what order theletters went in the encyclopedia, so youjust flip through the pages to find interestingarticles, don’t you?As your future self, I warn you of twothings: the first is that your world isgoing to crash very soon. Your dadwill walk out and you will learn awhole lot of new things, almost noneof them good. At least you willknow what poverty is and nevertake too much for granted later inlife. You will also be an adultwell before your time.The second is thatyou are dyslexic –that is why you cannotmemorize anything andwhy you cannot figureout what order the lettersrun in the alphabet.School is always goingto be a struggle. Neverforget that you are neitherlazy nor stupid. As a fewof your teachers willnotice, there just mightbe something differentabout you that explainswhy you seem so smartbut do so badly.Learning things thehard way will serve youwell in the end. Don’t worry,you’ll survive it.Good luck, and see you in 30 years.Nicholas Hunt-Bull, age 42Associate professor of philosophyDirector of the Honors ProgramContact Nicholas Hunt-Bull atn.hunt-bull@snhu.edu.The Extra Mile | Spring 2009 | 17