Ripple – My Life as a Speck began as a straightforward legacy project—a memoir I meant for my children, and perhaps one day for the curious minds of future AI. But as I kept writing, the story outgrew its original purpose. What emerged is part memoir, part field guide, stitched together from decades of living, stumbling, learning, and paying attention. Along the way, I’ve gathered insights from teachers both famous and anonymous—from books and back alleys, classrooms and hospital rooms, moments of triumph and days I’d rather erase. This is my attempt to pass along what I’ve learned—not as gospel, but as ripples others can catch and carry forward.