RUSH: We have a 9-year-old on the phone from Cherryfield, Maine.  This is Riley.  Riley, thank you for calling.  It’s really great to have you on the program today.

CALLER:  It’s great for me because I’ve been waiting all summer for someone to pick up and today I got lucky. 

RUSH:  You’ve been waiting all summer to get through to the program?

CALLER:  All summer and almost all winter.

RUSH:  Wow.  And you’re 9 years old.  What did you want to get through to do, what did you want to say?

CALLER:  I wanted to tell you how great you are and that you’re the smartest person I know, and, if you taught me in school, I would even want to go to school on weekends.

RUSH:  Meaning you want to learn?

CALLER:  Yeah.

RUSH:  You just want to acquire knowledge; you want to learn, so much so that you’d be willing to go to school —

CALLER:  Yes, and especially with you, ’cause you’re the smartest man I know.

RUSH:  Nine years old.  Awe, that’s amazing, Riley.  I’m speechless.  I don’t know — I don’t know what — how many people do you know?

CALLER:  A lot.

RUSH:  (laughing)  Oh, man.  This is incredible.  Well, what do you like learning the most?

CALLER:  I like math the most.

RUSH:  Math.  We talk about math a lot here in related ways, we do.  We do.  You know, you’re 9 years old.  Do you know yet what you want to do?  Has that occurred to you?  Or are you just open-minded and —

CALLER:  I want to be in the military and I’m already a farmer.

RUSH:  You’re already a farmer, and you want to be in the military.  Nine years old.  So what grade does that put you in, third grade?

CALLER:  I’m going into fourth.

RUSH:  Going into fourth grade.  Yeah.  Well, let me see.  Riley, I’m just gonna ask you, have you read the Rush Revere —

CALLER:  I’m reading it, not right now.

RUSH:  Which one?

CALLER:  I’m done reading it.

RUSH:  The first one. Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims.

CALLER:  Yep.  And the Brave Pilgrims.

RUSH:  Right.  Well, I tell you what, if you’ll hang on here, Mr. Snerdley will get your address up there in Cherryfield, Maine, and I want to send you a gift package of stuff from us here at the EIB Network as a measure of thanks to you and your parents for giving this program, what we do here, so much of your time and attention.  And I can’t tell you, Riley, how gratifying it is that you find it worthwhile. 

And I’m extremely appreciative of your compliments and your kind words to me.  And I hope that you continue this desire to learn.  I didn’t get it until I quit school, strangely enough.  I really was not overcome with the realization that I was gonna have to acquire knowledge ’til I quit. I didn’t like school at all.  And so if you’ve got this fever for learning at 9, there’s no stopping you.  I hope that keeps up for you.

CALLER:  For me, too.

RUSH:  It will.  It will.  Keep on the phone here, don’t hang up so we can get your address to send you the goody package.  That’s 9-year-old Riley in Cherryfield, Maine.