A major influence in my life was an early exposure to reading. My mother read to me as a young child and when I was old enough to venture out on my own, the Westerly Public Library in Westerly, R.I. became a very special place of influence. I could sit and read for hours. Growing up with seven other syblings didn't allow for quiet, but the library did. It also provided an escape to another world. I can honestly say that reading is the foundation of who I am today. Everything I know comes from reading. I will never tire of exhorting people to read and to make sure their children read. Get them out from in front of that TV and into a book!