 I learned two important lessons from that experience, he told me, 20 years later. The first was that I needed to slow down to force myself to read directions. In that regard, it was probably a positive experience. But it also almost destroyed my commitment to her, to the class, to the school, and to any future academic achievement. And that was where I learned my second and most important lesson. When you fall down, stand back up, dust yourself off, and carry on.