Literacy Narrative

Literacy Narrative

When I think of reading the first thing I think of is books that I haven’t read. It’s weird but it’s true the things that I have read I don’t wonder much about. The only exception would be if there are pieces of the book I feel like I haven’t yet discovered. I typically let the book go in a sense. Now a book I haven’t read will still always intrigue me, even if I never plan on reading the book. That’s because for me in my eyes reading has always been a connection between what the author put on text and what I get from it. I always seem to get a lot from the text, as a kid my mom never really forced me to read much. Outside of certain books for class back in elementary in which my mom tracked my reading progress herself as if she was my teacher. I’ve never had anyone look over my shoulder when it comes to reading. I feel like this has helped me always feel closer to the book. I know people who dread activities because of the simple fact that someone makes them do it. So I’m happy that growing up my parents never “MADE ME” read. It would have ruined my relationship with literature and in all honesty, even though it sounds bad to say the truth, I don’t like reading. I don’t hate it but I just don’t like it. It has never made me excited to read in general. However I LOVE a good story. I fall in love with the things within the text. Now don’t get it twisted, I do understand the importance of just being able to read in general. I don’t take being able to read for granite because although it may sound crazy to some people who think being able to read is the norm. Not just everybody can read. More specifically not everybody can read at a high level, so I take pride in my ability to read well even If I don’t truly love the art of reading itself. My most important experience I’ve ever had reading came when I was in 7th grade. I had just gone through knee surgery to repair my knee cartilage and I was devastated mentally. My coach had come over to my house and dropped me off a book. The title was “Training camp: What the best do better than everyone else.” The book Ironically was about an athlete going through some rough patches of his own. I read that book from beginning to end like my life depended on it and for me as someone who sat in my room and cried multiple days of the week but was too afraid to tell anyone. This thing that I originally looked at as just a book that my coach gave me had become the most relatable thing I had when it came to my struggles with my injury. Following me reading and connecting to this book, I really started to relate to the text I was reading. I saw how much of a connection that you could get out of a piece or literature and ever since I realized that reading has meant a lot more to me. Honestly looking back on it, it’s not great that something so negative had to bring me closer to reading. Honestly something that at the time was one of the worst things to ever happen to me grew me closer to reading. Since then for me reading has been all about connecting with a story and finding the importance within a story. The relationship I have been able to develop with what some would describe as just words on a paper is amazing. I know it may sound corny to say that developing a love for literature is life changing but for me it really was.