NickPetorak

UWRT1103034
ProfessorBlanford
MyLiteracyJourney

SomeofmyfirstandmostfondmemoriesareofmymomreadingvariousShel
Silversteinbooks,usually
TheGivingTree
,

tomebeforebed.Irememberfeelingadeep
connectionwiththecharactersinthestoryevenataveryyoungage.Thistimespentreading
withmymomstillholdsaspecialplaceinmyheartasitwasthefirstintroductionIhad,thatI
canremember,toanyformofliteracy.Italsostrengthenedmyconnectionwithmymom,andI
thinkplayedaroleinwhyweremainsoclosetothisday.Myrelationshipwithreadingand
writinghastakenmanyturnsthroughtheyears,butImstillverythankfultohavebeenexposed
toliteratureatayoungage.
Eventuallymymomanddadbecameverybusywithhisnewbusiness,andtheydidnt
havemuchtimetoreadtomeanymore,althoughtheymadeanefforttowhenevertheygotthe
chance.Iwasthenlefttoexplorereadingonmyown.IdontrememberexactlywhenIlearned
howtoreadonmyown,however,IdorememberthatonceIwasableto,Iwouldtrytoread
anythingIcouldgetmyhandson.Ievenremembergettingintroublefortakingandtryingto
readoneofmyfathersRobertLudlumbooksasitwastooracyformeatthatage.Bookswere
plentifulinmyhouseasbothofmyparentsandmyoldersisterwereavidreaders.Theyalso
exposedmetosomedifferentformsofliteracyprettyearlyon.Ispecificallyrememberthem
buyingmetheHarryPotterseriesoncassettewhenitfirstcameout,whichIwasecstaticabout.I
didntunderstanditatthetimebutallofthisexposuretobooksandencouragementtoread
certainlygavemeaheadstartonmypathtoliteracy.Althoughliteracyisnotjustaboutthe

contentofwhatyoureadandwrite,itsmorecontextualinhowthoseexperiencesshapeyouas
anindividual,andlookingbackIcanseehowsomeofthethingsIreadimpactedmypersonality
andidentity.Forinstance,Iseemyselfasprettyeasygoingandtendtotakethingsprettylightly.
IthinkthesatiricalandwhimsicalstyleofShelSilversteinswritingmayhavehadaninfluence
thispartofmypersonality.
Icontinuedtoreadprettyheavilythroughoutmyyearsinelementaryschool.Iwasa
prettyquietkidearlyon,andbeforeIgotinvestedinsportsIspentalotofmyfreetimereading.
IwenttoaverysmallcatholicschoolfromgradesK6andmostofthekidswerefromdifferent
townssomysociallife,ifyoucancallitthat,atthattimewasprettynonexistent.Iremember
gettingreallyintothe
ChooseYourOwnAdventure
booksinelementaryschool.Ilovedtheidea
ofbeingabletomakedecisionsthatimpactedthestory.AlthoughIcouldnthelpbutcheat
sometimesbyreadingaheadtomakesureIgottheendingthatIwanted.Oneparticulareventin
elementaryschoolinfluencedmyliteracyinabigway.Goingtothepopupbookstorethatwould
cometotheschoolafewtimesayearisoneofthebestmemoriesIhaveofthattime.Myparents
hadaprettyextensivelibraryinourhouse,andIwasfascinatedwiththeideaofstartingmyown
collection.Luckilymyparentsnurturedthisfascinationandprovidedmewiththemeanstocome
homewithapileofbookswheneverthepopupstorewasaround.Istillhavemostofthese
bookstothisday,andhopeIcansharewithmykidssomedayandencouragethemtoexpand
theirknowledgeandliteracyinthesamewaythatmyparentsdid.
Iwasalsoexposedtoanotherformofliteracyaroundthistimeinvideogames.Iknow
itshardtothinkofvideogamesasaformofliteracy,buttheyalsotellastory.Ireceiveda
Nintendo64forchristmasoneyearwiththegame
TheLegendofZelda:OcarinaofTime
.Iwas

hookedrightfromthebeginning,thestoryofayoungboyhavingtogrowupandfacethe
challengesoftheworldreallyspoketomeatthattime.Likethechooseyourownadventure
booksthatIhadbeenreading,Iwasabletomakedecisionsthatimpactedthestorywhich
captivatedme.Agoodvideogamewasakintoagoodbooktome,youwouldreachclimactic
partsinthestoryandyouwouldloseyourselfinwhatwashappening,notthinkingabout
anythingelsegoingonaroundyou.IspecificallyrememberoneinstancewhereIwassoinvested
inapartofagamethatstubbornlittlemehadmyparentshookupatinyt.vinourcarsothatI
couldplayonthewaytomycousinshouseforChristmas.Videogameshadabigimpactonme
duringmyelementaryyearsandexposedmetoaveryimmersive,newmethodofstorytelling.
Lookingback,theycertainlybroadenedmyscopeofwhatliteracycouldbe.
Ieventuallymovedtopublicschoolin7thgradesothatIcouldpursueanotheroneofmy
otherpassions,soccer.Thisiswhenmythirstforknowledgethroughreadingandotherformsof
literacystartedtotakeabackseatinmylife.IdiscoveredthatIwasaprettytalentedsoccer
playerformyagewhileplayingAYSOinelementaryschool.Iconvincedmymomtoletme
transfertothelocalmiddleschoolsoIcouldplayfortheschoolsteam.NotlongafterthatI
joinedaverycompetitivetravelingteamthatplayedintheschoolsoffseasonandfoundmyself
playingsoccerallyearround.MyfreetimeandfocuswasconsumedbythisnewpassionandI
losttheinterestinreadingthatIhadearlyon.Istillreadonoccasionbut,itwasntabigfacetin
mylifelikeitoncewas.Although,lookingbackonthistimeyoucouldthatorganizedsportsare
meanstogainsocialandcommunicativeliteracy.Sportsrequiregoodcommunicationskills,and
quickthinking,whichisimportanttohavingwellroundedliteracy.

Iremainedinvestedinsoccerthroughoutmyhighschoolyearsaswell,andanyreadingI
didwasusuallylimitedtowhateverwasassignedinschool.Inretrospect,thishinderedmy
interestinreadingorwritingbecauseIfoundmostoftheassignedreadingsuninterestingand
verycookiecutterinstyle.Byenforcingsuchstrictguidelinesmostpapersorprojectswouldend
upbeingverysimilartoeachother.ReadingwasnowmoreofachoretomethanahobbythatI
couldtakepleasurein.Writingcarriedthesamestigmaformeaswell.Iwasneverexplicitly
encouragedtowriteaschildandtheonlywritingIhaveeverreallydonehasbeenforschool.
Furthermore,inhighschoolIwasneverreallyencouragedtowriteabouttopicsthatinterested
me,itwasmoreaboutmeetingarigidsetofrequirementsandtherewasntmuchroomfor
creativethought.Oneteacher,Mrs.Pickering,specificallystandsouttomeforassigningthis
typeofblackandwhitewriting.Ithinkoneofthemostimportantaspectsofonesliteracyisthe
abilitytothinkcreativelyandcriticallyandtheseassignmentsdidlittletoprovokethattypeof
thinking.Therewasoneassignedbookinhighschool,however,thatalmostsinglehandedly
openedmyeyestocreativethinking.
Iremembermostkidsinmy9thgradeenglishclassdespising
1984
byGeorgeOrwell.I
hadaverydifferentexperiencewiththebook,Ilovedit.ItwasthefirsttimethatIcanrecall
whereatvariouspointswhilereadingIwouldstop,takeastepback,andreallythinkabouthow
itappliedtotheworldoutsideofthenovel.Now,atthetimeIwasntawareofthecontextand
timeperiodinwhichitwaswritten(PostWorldWar2Englandduringreconstruction).
Nonetheless,itforcedmetothinkcriticallyabouthowimportantfreespeech,andfreedomin
general,istohumanity.IthinkthiswasahugestepinmyliteracyjourneyasIwasntlookingat
abookassimplyaformofentertainmentorachoreIhadtogetthroughtofinishanassignment.

Tome,thatswhatseparatessimplybeingabletoreadandwritefromcomplex,intelligent
literacy.
1984
willalwaysbespecialtomeforforcingmetothinkinthatway.
Althoughhighschool,inmyeyes,didverylittletofurtherthegrowthofmyliteracy,
collegehashadthecompleteoppositeeffect.InthepastfewyearsofcollegeIvenoticed
tremendousgrowthinmyliteracyandabilitytothinkcritically.Incontrasttotherigidstructure
ofhighschoolassignments,collegewritingandreadinghasbeen,inmyopinion,muchmore
fluidandcreative.SofarIhavebeengivenmoreoptionsandfreedominmywriting.Inmy
opinionthemaingoalofthecollegeexperienceistofurtheronesliteraryprowess.Unlikehigh
school,inhighereducationpeopleareheremostlyontheirownaccordandareeagertolearn.
Thisenvironmenthasmadewritingmuchmoreinterestingtome,andinturnhasrenewedmy
interestinotherformsofliteracyaswell.Forexample,Iverecentlygottenbackintoreadingfor
pleasure.IthasbeenveryfulfillingtoregaintheenjoymentIgotfromreadingthatIhadwhenI
wasyoung.
Myliteracyjourneyhashaditsupsanddownsthroughouttheyears,andimsurewill
continuetomoveforwardinthatmanner.Thebeautifulthingaboutaliteracyjourneyisthatit
lastsalifetime.Thereisnoendgoalandyouneverknowhowitwilldevelopdowntheroad.I
hopethatIcontinuetobechallengedonmyjourney.AsfamousphysicistStephenHawkingonce
said,Nothingisbetterthanreadingandgainingmoreandmoreknowledge