Literacy as the Cornerstone of the Nation and Person Development - Essay Example

Literacy Autobiography When I was young, my parents used to buy books for me, although, at times, I did not know what those are for. They used to stack the books in neat piles in the corner of my room hoping that I would take time to read those. However, I am not much of a reader, and, the only thing that spurred my interest in books is the fancy and colorful illustrations. When I look at the books my parents bought for me piled in the corner of my room, I cannot imagine myself reading those all by myself. Reading always makes me feel drowsy. When I was still in grade school, there are many times when I attempted to read on my own. I would lock myself in my room, grab a book and read. However, no matter how hard I try to finish a chapter, I would fall asleep. My mother would have to wake me up for dinner assuring me that she will read to me the rest of the book. Fortunately, my mother is such an effective storyteller that when she reads stories for me, I always find those enjoyable and interesting. The way she reads enables me to imagine a different world separate from the real. She reads as if she paints a world full of possibilities and happiness, a world I could not have encountered, or imagined, when reading those books alone. She also stimulates my curiosity by asking me questions relating to the events in the story and why those events happen. Her “what if” questions develop my creativity as those allow me to think out of the box, create another strings of events and predict the outcome of the story. In short, she allows me to tell my own version of the story and make me explain why I remake the story that way. Reflecting now on those moments, I cannot thank my mother enough for developing my appreciation in reading. She also spurs my imagination and creativity as well as my critical thinking. Aside from this, she opens my eyes allowing me to see a wider view. I learned to picture myself in the position of other people which enables me to understand their situation. In addition, I learned to take an interest in other people by directly talking to them or reading their works. Those stories that she reads to me serve as the foundation of my knowledge. Now, I realize that those stories are not just for entertainment; those also contain valuable lessons that can be applied in real life events. I learned to love reading. During my high school years, I read not just to study my lesson and pass the test but also to learn. Along with my enthusiasm to learn is my hope that I can use my knowledge in my everyday life. My thirst for learning overpowers my drowse that I can bear to read for longer hours or even until I finish the whole book. This is a great improvement for me as I need to cope with the pace of information transfer in the modern times. Knowing the fact that the modern world is competitive, I need to equip myself with the necessary knowledge that would help me finish my studies and, in the long run, enable me to compete effectively in the workplace. Having the passion to increase my knowledge and technical skills puts me at an advantage as I would have the chance to develop my literacy. In the words of President Clinton, in his speech during the International Literacy Day in Sept. 8, 1994, literacy does not mean comfort or an amenity; it is, as he said, a person’s obligation and right as a citizen of the country (Woolley and Peters). While today’s world has become increasingly complex, citizens need to equip themselves with basic literacy skills to ensure success in their profession, career, and business. In addition, illiteracy is a mark of a nation that neglects its obligation to improve its citizen’s way of living and opportunities. In a nation striving to uphold the principles of equality, literacy is essential as it ensures equal opportunities for all. Following this line of thinking, literacy also develops the full potential of every citizen as it promotes creativity as well as strengthens partnerships. In connection to my personal learning experiences, I improved my literacy through reading and conversing with people who are, as I see them, more knowledgeable than me. This is the trick that I have learned from my father. While my mother developed my reading skills, my father developed my communication skills. Communication skills, he said, is the key to establish productive relationships with other people because I will have the chance to get first-hand information from them. The communication and reading skills that my parents taught me are the key factors that influence my literacy development. Using those skills, I am able to learn from the texts that I read and from those people around me. As I continue my journey as a student, I will put into practice those skills as those help me accomplish my goals. While communication skills allow me to develop healthy relationships with my teachers as well as my classmates, my reading skills allow me to interact with the texts that I read. In the course of my student life, I realized that being literate means being able to be productive for my personal benefit and my family. Also, being literate means being able to recognize and acknowledge my responsibilities to my parents, the society, and the nation. As I reflected on the events that shaped the foundation of my literacy development, I realized that although people have different ways and stages of learning, those learning stages have a common aim: to prepare the future generations who will, someday, lead the nation. Today, I admit that I do not have time to sit down and read due to the hectic schedules that I have. Indeed, there are more necessary things to be taken care of these days including making money to fund my education expenses. For me, being glued to a chair with a book is certainly not a very productive use of time. I still have to work as well as study my lessons, and, I do not have ample time for reading. For this reason, I downloaded audio books so that I could listen to those while on the bus or while taking my meals. This idea came to me when I discovered a web site containing free downloadable audio books. Instead of listening to music, I listened to the live streaming of my favorite books. In this way, I could still consider myself reading. I am also used to this process as this is what I and my mother did when I was still young. My childhood experiences, especially those that I had spent with my parents, influence my development as a literate person. My parents are my first teachers, and, I have learned my first lessons in life at home. The lessons that my parents taught me helped me in my studies, and, in the long run, in my future professional career. For this reason, I am very thankful for my parents and those people who, in one way or other, shared their knowledge to me. The ideas that I have learned from them developed me as a literate person as well as a responsible citizen. As I continue to pursue my dreams, I will always bear in mind that literacy is the cornerstone of the nation, and, it is essential to the individual success of its citizens. Work Cited Wooley, John and Gerhard Peters. William J. Clinton: Statement on the Observance of International Literacy Day. The American Presidency Project, 8 Sept. 1994. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. . Read More