Some of my favorite quotes from Ways with words by Shirley Brice Heath about literacy:

"Reading was a public group affair for almost all members of Trackton from the youngest to the oldest. . . but to read alone was frowned upon, and individuals who did so were accused of being anti-social." p. 191.

". . . reading alone, unless one is very old and religious, marks an individual as someone who cannot make it socially." p. 191

". . ., reading is a social activity; when something is read in Trackton, it almost always provokes narratives, jokes, sidetracking talk, and active negotitation of the meaning of written texts among the listeners." p. 196

"Behind the written word is an authority, and the text is a messager which can be taken apart only insofar as its analysis does not extend too far beyond the text and commonly agreed upon experiences." p. 235

I'm a reader. I have always been a reader. When I think of reading, I imagine myself as a sponge absorbing information, images, and powerful words as they pentrate my mind and heart. The words becoming part of my thought process that will eventually become renewed and rewritten in many forms of communication. I love to highlight profound quotes and passages that stimulate my imagination and renew my passion for reading. Reading is a gift that my parents gave me when I was younger. They made sure I had a plethora of books and trips to the library. Eventually, I found myself reading 25-30 books a year engulf in mysteries, romance, detective stories, and other genres that capture my attention. I am a proud owner of over 600 books that are stack on shelves throughout my house, and I continue to buy more. Why is this so important to me? How did literacy become a part of my life?

As I read Harry's story in Local Literacies by David Barton, I found myself thinking about my family (father, grandfathers, and grandmother) and literacy. My grandfather and grandmother, Clarence and Mary, were cherokee indians and able to read enough to function in society. The only book I ever saw in my grandparents home was the Bible. My grandmother would read the Bible consistently through out the day. She would quote scriptures and sing songs from the hymns books at the church. I would watch her as she would read recipes written on index cards or torned lined paper. My other grandfather, Willie, could not read. He had a good secure job at Firestone Tire Company, but he couldn't read. However, my grandfather, knew symbols and was an expert in recognizing money. He did not trust banks, so he kept his money in various places. He drove a new car every two years. He read enough to survive in society. But, my father is different. He is an avid reader. He loves to read. He would buy books about carpentry, non-fiction, religious books, and anything else that interests him at that time. My father retired as an engineer. My father has a library in his home filled with his favorite books. Sometimes, I just pick one and read his thoughts and questions that are written on the side of his books. Like me, he writes in his books comments and questions. Some of his books are highlighted in various colors by highlighters or red pen marks.

The quote about Harry, "Every night he reads in bed for an hour before going to sleep." p. 81 My father reads before he goes to sleep every night. Harry uses literacy to keep up with current affairs and local issues. p. 81 My father reads every section of the newspaper except the death notices. He watches the news; especially CNN news, the experts of getting things right as my father would say. My father at one time had written poetry and sketched characters like the pink panther and bugs bunny before his illness. Harry reminds me of my father using literacy to develop his true passion disregarding what others may feel or think.

Reading about Harry, for some reason, I could picture Harry in my mind making this statement, "and it still makes my mouth water, writing on a slate." But, I had a hard time trying to visualize the slate. Harry does bring up a point when commenting on educated and uneduacated people. He stated that being good at exams and good at paperwork are not necessarily the most important skills in working life.

I remember the older people in my life would often say that people who were educated have book sense, but the lacked CS (common sense) to keep jobs. In other words, books can take a person a long way, but it takes common sense to finish the job. Literacy is the same way. It takes a person to become skilled in reading and writing to make a connection within society.