Words are inadequate

I can't remember not being able to read. I CAN remember not being able to WRITE, and being SO FRUSTRATED. Because I'd TRY to write something, and then I'd try to read what I wrote, and it wouldn't be words, and I couldn't figure out why.

My father says that I learned to read partially on the Chronicles of Narnia, that he'd read me a chapter at night, and I got to do the one-letter words, "I" and "a", and then I got to do two-letter words. And then he'd just fall asleep at interesting parts and I'd have to read it myself if I wanted to keep going.

He clarifies that that last part wasn't on purpose. It was just that he'd fall asleep. But it worked anyway.