Literacy History

Literacy History

Long-term memories are often connected to emotional events and my first memories involving literacy are no exception.  At the age of five, I was madly in love with Dianne Hackworth, my kindergarten teacher.  I can’t really say if I loved books at the time, or if I just enjoyed being read to by Dianne.  Either way, I had an early connection to literature and the emotional aspect of that connection has remained with me as the cornerstone of my literacy development. 

Throughout Elementary, Middle and High school I progressed through what I would call a somewhat formulaic literary development.  In Elementary school (and younger) my mother read to me on a daily basis.  Some books that I enjoyed included Dr. Seuz, Shel Silverstein, Where The Wild Things Are and Breakfast With Francis, just to name a few.  Perhaps what I was really enjoying, as much as the books, was the emotional connection with my mother.  I say this because during Middle and High school, when I was reading on my own, I went through the motions and enjoyed the required school novels, but I did not really love reading.

When I reflect on the rebirth of my love of books, which did not happen until I had begun university, I realize that again it was an emotional connection that sparked my interest.  My mother gave me a copy of Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet that had been given to her as a gift from my father when they were dating.  A short note on the inside of the cover read, “to my Kathy for being herself”.  I loved this book, which is now over 45 years old, and have read it many, many times.  I have kept the book with me throughout all of my travels and eventually gave it to my wife when we started dating.  Admittedly, it was a selfish gift because I only “gave it away” when I knew that we would always be together.  Regardless, the content of the book, and the emotions that I associated with it, spurred my love of reading, especially in regard to religious, poetic and philosophical texts.  In time my love of this genre (if you can call it that) broadened to include anything involving Anthropology, travel and historical fiction.

Today I simply love to read and I try to make it part of my daily routine.  I still primarily love the above-mentioned topics, but I can appreciate the classics of any genre from fantasy to westerns.  However, regardless of what I am reading, I would say that the source of my interest in literature is emotional.  I love the realization and recognition of universal truths and the feeling of being reminded of something that I already knew. As Khalil Gibran expresses, any great idea that is conveyed to us “already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge.”