1970: Read Over Intercom, Part 1

Here's another piece written when I was nine, under the name Erik Duke France. When we moved to North Carolina in early 1970, my family lived within a couple miles of Duke University's East Campus. Since my parents had named me Erik D France, I could always either keep it that way (Harry S Truman is another example*), or make the D into any middle name of my choosing. My father's first name is Donald, so I eventually opted to go with Erik Donald France in his honor. In the meantime, found it hilarious how freaked out people got by me having only a middle initial. Indeed, I'm lucky if people can spell my first name as I do or even notice the difference between various spellings, such is human nature. There's many a lesson to be had there, no doubt. Usually, they make me smile. In general, people cannot stand anomalies or anything too outside the "norm."

*"Mr. Truman apparently initiated the "period" controversy in 1962 when, perhaps in jest, he told newspapermen that the period should be omitted. In explanation he said that the "S" did not stand for any name but was a compromise between the names of his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young." (Source: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/speriod.htm)