Learning early

Fred did what I did at that age, but I never worried
about my parents disapproval. They would never
interrupt a quiet boy. I don't either. It's so
rare to find one.

But I don't worry about anyone's approval. See
what he says about fooling his parents...

The drug store sold Hardy Boys books, Tom Swift,
the Lone Ranger, long rows of them. Presumably
they weren’t there exclusively for me. I remember
inventing what I called "sneak reading." When
supposedly I was going to sleep, I held the plug
of my reading lamp just far enough into the
socket to turn it on, so that I could quietly
turn it off by pulling it out slightly should I
hear creaking floorboards. I was fooling my
parents less than I thought I was, but this
revelation came later. At various times I used
flashlights and candles. (Book matches don't
work. I know.)

I have since learned that all sorts of kids did
the same thing. So much for my uniqueness in the
universe.

Fred's whole rant on why learning isn't a big deal.