Never Give Up
As you read my story, I hope it will help you understand that you are not alone.
From the age of six, I realized that reading was a problem in school. When I was asked to read out loud, it was very hard as well as embarrassing. The other kids would laugh and say hateful things. That’s when I started to close myself and I would not read out loud anymore.
As the years went on, I felt alone. It seemed that no one could or would help me. At home, there was very little patience and no understanding. If I read or misspelled incorrectly, I would be punished and sometimes even more. I started to rebel. The bad thing about this was that it carried over to other parts of my life.
I started to do things that were self-destructive and surrounded myself with people that did not care about my best interests. One day I ran into a friend who was a born again Christian and he invited me to church; it saved my life and stopped me from self-destruction. After a while, I realized that I could read the Bible and understand and comprehend what I was reading. At the same time, I realized that my spelling was still a problem. I read more but my spelling stayed the same.
I am sitting here analyzing literacy and the affect it had on me. I see how it had worked in my life without me knowing the negativity and difficulty it created which resulted in not confronting my fears and problem with spelling and reading. The fear of being embarrassed had cost me a lot. And now that I am learning to spell and read better it has helped me to face my fears. No longer will I hide my literacy because the consequences of that are too difficult to go through again. I think of the things that I could have accomplished and the good and changes that I could have made in my life and in others.
Today I am getting help and my dream to better myself is coming true with the help of people that take the time to help others. God bless them.
I find myself at the age of fifty-five years young and looking forward to a better life.
P.S. Remember never give up!
Angel. "Never Give UP" Our Words, Our Voices. Vol. 3. Hayward: Literacy Plus Council, 2015. 51-52. Print.
