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>> I WOULD ALWAYS GO TO THE STORE WHEN I WAS LITTLE
AND STILL REMEMBER THIS TO THIS DAY.
I WOULD JUST BUY LAFFY TAFFY,
SO THAT I CAN JUST TELL JOKES TO MY FRIENDS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE ONE.
"WHAT HAS TEN LETTERS AND IT STARTS WITH GAS?"
"AUTOMOBILE." (chuckling)
>> MY FIRST LITERACY MOMENT WAS...
SECOND GRADE, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
AND WE HAD JUST GOT SOME BOOKS, LIKE HISTORY,
AND THERE WERE SOME BOOKS ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON.
AND I HEARD THE STORY ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON
CHOPPING DOWN THE CHERRY TREE,
SO I REALLY WANTED TO READ THAT STORY
TO SEE WAS IT TRUE OR NOT.
AND I READ THE BOOK AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL STORY,
SO THAT WAS MY FIRST LITERACY MOMENT.
>> I ACTUALLY READ MY VERY FIRST NOVEL WHEN I WAS ABOUT FIVE.
MY MOTHER TOOK ME TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY--
AND BY "NOVEL," I DON'T MEAN LIKE "CURIOUS GEORGE"
OR "CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG."
I MEAN AN ACTUAL NOVEL.
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT WAS A SCIENCE NOVEL.
AND I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ABOUT
SOMETHING TO DO WITH-- PROBABLY BORED ME FOR SEVERAL REASONS
BECAUSE IT WAS BASICALLY JUST ABOUT ATOMIC PHYSICS.
(chuckling)
BUT THAT DAY, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY,
THAT I REALLY DID LEARN SOMETHING.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT I LOVED SCIENCE.
(chuckling) AND SECOND OF ALL,
THAT SINCE IT WAS MY VERY FIRST BOOK,
FROM THAT POINT ON,
IT SEEMED LIKE I JUST WANTED TO KEEP READING.
I HOPE THAT SUCH A THING WOULD ENCOURAGE MANY KIDS
TO VISIT THE LIBRARY,
EVEN NOWADAYS WHERE MOST OF THEM ARE CURSED
TO GET ON TO USE COMPUTERS OR TO STAY HOME AND PLAY VIDEO GAMES.
AND BECAUSE, FOR ME,
IT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE,
AND THAT WITHOUT DOING THAT AND EVERYTHING,
I WOULD NEVER BE ENCOURAGED TO TRY TO READ HARDER THINGS
OR TO EVENTUALLY LEARN ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO BE.
>> I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN INJURY ABOUT A FEW YEARS AGO,
AND IT GAVE ME A LOT OF LEARNING DISABILITIES,
SO I DIDN'T REALLY THINK MUCH OF GOING TO COLLEGE UNTIL,
LIKE, I GOT OVER IT.
AND THE FIRST YEAR I WENT, I HAD TO GO TO READING COURSES
BECAUSE I WAS BEHIND IN SOME OF THE OTHER ACADEMIC PARTS,
AND I REMEMBER GETTING MY TEST SCORES FOR THE FIRST TIME
OF WHERE MY GRADE LEVEL WAS FOR READING,
AND IT WAS REALLY LOW.
BUT THEN, LIKE, TWO SEMESTERS LATER,
I ENDED UP BRINGING IT UP ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE LEVELS
JUST IN ONE YEAR.
AND IT GOT ME TO READ MORE.
IT KINDA REALLY DID GET ME TO WHERE I'M AT NOW.
I MEAN, I'VE ALREADY DONE ALMOST SEVEN OR EIGHT
DIFFERENT SEMESTERS ALREADY BECAUSE OF IT.
AND I JUST-- I DON'T TAKE READING FOR GRANTED ANYMORE.
(chuckling) I ACTUALLY PICK UP A BOOK
MORE THAN A MOVIE NOW.
I'M MORE OF A MOVIE-LOVER THAN I AM A BOOK-LOVER,
BUT NOW THAT I REALIZE MY READING HAS IMPROVED
OVER THE YEARS,
IT'S MADE ME WANT TO PICK A BOOK FASTER
KIND OF THING... SO I DUNNO.
IT JUST OPENED MY EYES UP A LITTLE BIT
BECAUSE I NEVER HAD THOSE KINDS OF TESTS DONE
BACK IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO IT REALLY DID OPEN UP-- IT WAS A BIG SHOCKER TO ME
THAT ONLY ONE YEAR DID REALLY IMPROVE A LOT.
>> MY LITERACY MOMENT WAS WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD.
I WAS ATTENDING KALAMAZOO VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
I READ A BOOK BY JON KABAT ZINN CALLED
"WHEREVER YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE."
THAT BOOK WAS BASICALLY TELLING THE READERS THAT THE CHOICES
THAT YOU MADE IS WHAT BROUGHT YOU
TO THE POINT THAT YOU ARE IN YOUR LIFE.
AFTER READING THAT BOOK, I REALIZED THAT EVERYTHING
THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME WAS MY CHOICE.
SO WHEN I REALIZED THAT, I DOVE IN REALLY HARD
TO START FIGURING OUT HOW I CAN MAKE BETTER CHOICES
TO GET THE THINGS THAT I WANT.
>> MY LITERACY MOMENT IS A STORY ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN 1st GRADE.
IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ME NOW,
BUT THERE WAS A DAY WHEN I WAS A 1st GRADER,
AND I WAS IN MRS. IRWIN'S CLASS
AT WESTWOOD HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
AND IT WAS A DAY THAT I REMEMBER VERY VIVIDLY,
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ALL THOSE YEARS AGO
BECAUSE I FINISHED MY WORK EARLIER ONE DAY,
WHICH WAS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL FOR ME
BECAUSE I WAS A SLOW-POKE.
AND BECAUSE I FINISHED MY WORK EARLY,
I WAS ABLE TO CHOOSE AN ACTIVITY,
AND I WANDERED OVER TO THE CORNER OF THE ROOM
THAT WAS MRS. IRWIN'S LIBRARY,
AND I FOUND A COPY OF THIS BOOK, "HOP ON POP"
BY DR. SEUSS.
AND I LOOKED AT IT AND THOUGHT,
"HMM, THAT LOOKS INTERESTING."
IT WAS NEW TO ME, SO I TOOK A SEAT AND I OPENED IT UP
AND WITHOUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT--
I WAS IN 1st GRADE, REMEMBER, SO I WAS STILL LEARNING--
I READ THIS BOOK FROM BEGINNING TO END.
I READ IT FROM COVER TO COVER.
AND I CLOSED THE BOOK AND I SUDDENLY REALIZED,
"I JUST READ THAT BOOK ALL BY MYSELF!"
WHICH IS SOMETHING I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE IN MY LIFE,
SO I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS IS THE BOOK
THAT WAS THE VERY FIRST BOOK I READ ALL BY MYSELF,
AND IT GAVE ME A WONDERFUL FEELING.
AND THAT'S MY STORY ABOUT "HOP ON POP."
>> I REMEMBER BACK IN 3rd GRADE THAT A BRAINSTORMING GROUP
CAME TO MY SCHOOL AND THEY ASKED EVERY STUDENT
TO WRITE A SHORT STORY
BUT NOT USE ANY LIKE CARTOON CHARACTERS, FAKE CHARACTERS,
COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS.
AND ME, BEING MY CHILDISH SELF,
JUST LET MY IMAGINATION FLOW ONTO THE PAPER,
AND AFTER THAT, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
"I SHOULD JUST WRITE SHORT STORIES," AND SO, I DID.
>> I WOULD SAY PROBABLY TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR,
I READ THIS BOOK.
IT WAS PROBABLY-- I READ A BOOK BEFORE THAT,
BUT IT WAS THE NEXT BOOK.
IT WAS CALLED-- IT WAS A JILLIAN MICHAELS BOOK,
AND I MUST HAVE-- AS SOON AS I GOT THE BOOK,
I WAS SO INTERESTED AT THE INFORMATION,
IT KEPT ME ENGAGED.
IT WANTED ME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFE
AND HOW I CAN BETTER MY LIFE IN THIS.
AND SHE HAD ONE QUOTE UP IN THERE THAT STICKS WITH ME
FOR RIGHT NOW-- "PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY."
AND I THINK AS FAR AS HER GOING THE DEPTH,
IN THE BOOK AND--
SHE TOLD DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT HER SHOW,
"THE BIGGEST LOSER,"
HOW, YOU KNOW, SHE WOULD PUSH HER OPPONENTS
AND TRY TO MAKE THEM BETTER AND PUSH THEM TO THEIR BEST.
AND IT JUST-- THAT REALLY MOTIVATED ME
TO WANT TO DO BETTER AND APPLY THE THINGS
THAT SHE WENT IN DETAIL WITH TO MY LIFE,
AND I THINK, FOR ME, THAT WAS BIG.
BECAUSE I READ THAT BOOK IN A WEEK,
AND I GOT A LOT OUT OF THAT FROM THAT BOOK.
SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF MY BIGGEST LITERACY MOMENTS,
AND...
IT'S-- I THINK FOR ME, READING IS SO IMPORTANT.
READING IS SO IMPORTANT.
READING AND WRITING IS SO IMPORTANT.
TO HAVE THOSE FOUNDATIONS, BECAUSE I'M IN COLLEGE,
SO IT TAKES, YOU KNOW-- THAT'S ALL YOU'RE BASICALLY DOING
IS READING AND WRITING,
SO I THINK HAVING THOSE FOUNDATIONS
CAN CREATE OPPORTUNITIES,
YOU KNOW, TO DO BETTER AND WANT TO BE BETTER,
AND TO SPEAK FLUENTLY.
SO IT'S JUST-- IT'S-- IT'S SO ENTICING ONCE
YOU GET MORE INTO IT AND ONCE YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT IT,
AND IT BECOMES MORE OF A REPETITION TO YOU.
SO IT'S-- I ENJOY IT.
>> WELL, MY LITERACY STORY IS WHEN I WENT TO JOB CORPS.
THAT'S WHEN I BEGAN TO APPRECIATE LITERACY.
I GOT A CHANCE TO GO THERE, I GOT A CHANCE TO FINISH
MY G.E.D., MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA,
AND THERE, I GOT A CHANCE TO BEGIN TO ENHANCE
MY EDUCATION SKILLS.
AND GETTING MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, GETTING MY G.E.D.,
I BEGAN TO DO POETRY THERE.
AND I HAD A YOUNG MAN THAT ACTUALLY BEGAN TO HELP ME
WRITE POETRY.
MY VERY FIRST POETRY IS CALLED "LIFE IS PRECIOUS,"
AND HE HELPED ME KINDA ADD LITTLE DIFFERENT WORDS
IN MY POEM, AND IT'S STUCK WITH ME EVER SINCE.
THIS WAS IN THE YEAR 2000 IN NOVEMBER-- 2000, YEAH.
SO 12 YEARS NOW, IT'S STUCK WITH ME,
AND I ACTUALLY GOT A CHANCE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY
TO DO THIS POETRY AT A SPOKEN WORD NIGHT.
AND IT WAS AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.
IT BROUGHT ME OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE,
AND I GOT A CHANCE TO SHARE THAT POETRY
WITH OTHER PEOPLE,
LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S IN MY MIND,
LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S IN MY HEART,
THAT LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND YOU SHOULDN'T WASTE IT.
AND HOW YOU ENJOY LIFE AND APPRECIATE LIFE
IS WRITING DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS ON PAPER
AND SPEAKING THAT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO LISTEN.
AND THAT IS HOW YOU CAN GET A LOT OF THINGS OUT OF YOUR HEART,
A LOT OF THINGS OUT OF YOUR MIND,
AND JUST EXPRESS YOUR WORLD FROM THE INSIDE OUT,
AND YOU CAN DO THAT THROUGH POETRY.
AND THAT'S MY DEFINING MOMENT OF LITERATURE.
>> MY LITERACY MOMENT CAME WHEN I WAS PROBABLY FIVE YEARS OLD,
WHEN YOU'RE JUST LEARNING HOW TO READ.
AND WHAT I REMEMBER ABOUT READING WAS I ENJOYED IT,
BUT I LIKED BUBBLEGUM MORE.
I LOVED BUBBLEGUM.
AND I COULD NEVER HAVE IT,
SO WHEN I GOT A CHANCE TO GET BUBBLEGUM,
I WAS HAPPY, BUT I WAS HAPPIEST
WHEN I GOT BAZOOKA BUBBLEGUM
BECAUSE MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS WERE TOGETHER.
I HAD THE GUM, BUT YOU COULD ALSO READ THE COMIC.
SO ON THE RARE OCCASION THAT I COULD GET BAZOOKA BUBBLEGUM,
I'D FIND A QUIET SPOT, I'D UNWRAP THE COMIC,
I'D EAT THE BUBBLEGUM...
AND THEN I'D SIT AND SOUND OUT ALL THE WORDS ON THE COMIC,
AND BECAUSE I WAS ONLY FOUR OR FIVE YEARS OLD,
I DIDN'T REALLY GET ALL THE JOKES,
BUT I KNEW WHEN YOU READ COMICS,
YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LAUGH, SO I READ THEM
AND I WOULD LAUGH REALLY, REALLY LOUD.
IT WAS JUST THE BEST TIME EVER,
AND THAT'S ONE OF MY LITERACY MOMENTS.
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