My Journey in Literacy

While there is one common definition of “language,” I feel that it is a term that offers much diversity in how it can be interpreted and literacy is no different in this regard. In order to find just how far one has come, it is necessary to see where he or she has been. What tribulations were faced and were there any transgressions committed against the “rules” of English along the way? What triumphs assisted in nurturing particular skills and what encounters cultivated new ones? One would think that getting to a particular destination is a harder road to travel than remembering how he or she got there, however that is not always the case. Bumps and potholes in the road are soon forgotten just as easily as downhill slopes, when the destination has been considered home for many years. Looking back at my literary journey requires quite a bit of data retrieval, however literacy is an umbilical cord that keeps me linked to the language that continuously surrounds me.

In order to begin to dust off the file cabinets of my mind, I think it’s important to first understand what I know of “language” and how I define it. Only then, can we properly look at how it has impacted my literary journey. Merriam-Webster defines language as “the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community.” This definition feels rather generic to me and I don’t feel that it fully encompasses all aspects of such a considerable word. A second definition from Merriam-Webster seems to exemplify “language” with a little more detail and states that it is, “a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meaning.” I feel that language is in everything we see, say, and do. It is so much more than just words pouring out of someone’s mouth. It is body language and tone, as well. Language is not just spoken or heard, but also seen and felt. Everything has a way of conversing with us. It is the very enzyme that generates the desire to communicate as a human being. We may “speak” a different “language,” but it’s all around us. All we have to do is “listen”.

We begin learning language through movements and gestures of the body before we actually start to learn and understand words. We don’t learn the meaning of words right away, but we link emotions, body language, and tone to reactions and outcomes. During my research, I found that if we go back even further, Baby Center states that babies start listening to the voices of their parents while they’re still in the womb and when they are born, they start to observe. One of the things they begin learning is cause and effect. This made sense with the first word that my mom remembers me learning, “papa”. My mom told me that she would ask me if I wanted “papa,” which I suppose is the Spanish baby word for food, although that cannot be confirmed nor denied. This was her way of asking me if I was hungry. Ultimately, I must have realized the importance of that word fairly quickly because it was my first. My second word was “Mama”. While I remember absolutely none of this, I can see how that word was very important to have in my toolbox and why it is usually one of our first words.

Traveling a little further down my journey, I remember that I always loved to color in my coloring books. It had to be one of my favorite things to do. I liked to play with colors and come up with unique ways to make a picture look different than everyone else, but still look good. I would use one color for outlining the picture, which I would make the outline thick and dark, and then I would take a lighter color and use that to fill in the section. I loved how that technique looked. Where were Prismacolor colored pencils when I was growing up? I suppose they would’ve been too expensive for us anyway. The fact that I loved coloring so much left me wondering if it had any involvement in encouraging my literary steps. So, I decided to research that, too. I have found that coloring stimulates creativity (admin 12-2-2015). Color Psychology states, “Whether they stay in the lines or not, coloring fosters a creative spirit and an appreciation for visual differences,” the site continues, “Coloring can stoke the imagination and inspire kids to brainstorm and learn to think of new ideas on their own naturally.”

The site also states other benefits of coloring in psychology and development in children. It assists in preparing them for school and contributes to better handwriting. What I found most interesting was that coloring benefits children because it improves confidence and self-esteem, while also aiding self-expression. This research has helped me understand that the mere action of coloring definitely played a role in my creativity and literary development.

When I was young, I also loved to read. My earliest memories of reading brings me back to my elementary school days of playing with dolls and my stuffed animals. I loved reading. I don’t recall the grade I was in when I had a particular collection of books. I believe I was even missing a couple of volumes in this collection and I don’t remember how I got it, but I loved it. I know that I had two or three favorite volumes and I would read them to my dolls and stuffed animals. The one that I reached for the most was full of poems. I believe this is what sparked my interest in poetry. I loved how the flow of words sounded as they left my lips. The other book included short stories. My mom would also read these to me, as I would pick out my favorites. As I got older, I started checking out books from the library. I loved when my mom would take us to the local library to check out books. I was like a kid in a candy store and would check out the maximum books we were allowed to take.

When I was in high school, I would go to the school library first thing in the morning and check out a book that I would read throughout the day in my classes, when I completed my school work. After I finished my homework in the evenings, I would lay on my bed and read. I prided myself in being able to complete some books in one night because I was excited to start the next day the same exact way, of course this depended on the length of the books. I remember my favorite book in high school, which is still one of my favorites today, was The Chocolate War. I made my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, read it as well. He hated reading, but he enjoyed the book. It delighted me to share my favorites with people.

In high school, I started to love writing. I found myself jotting down ideas and finding happiness in the process. One could assume that those lengthy reports we had to write in school sparked my interest in writing. I did take Journalism in High School, along with a T.V. Broadcasting class as well, but those did not do it either. I tried keeping a diary when I was little, but I lacked the discipline of writing in it on a daily basis. My love for reading and poetry played a major role in my desire to write.

While walking home from school, my mind would turn the journey into some kind of unwritten story that would flow in my head. I started paying attention to details that might appear insignificant to most people. I started “smoking poetry,” as Robert Smith from The Cure so craftily stated in a song. Some of my favorite poets include Robert Frost, Emily Dickenson, and John Donne.

The Cure – “Strange Attraction” – Live on Conan O’brien

My poetry was more like my thoughts in written form. Sometimes they rhymed and sometimes they didn’t. That didn’t matter to me; I found enjoyment in being able to write down my feelings and thoughts. I always found myself writing about nature and love. I felt like writing helped me understand my feelings and greatly assisted me in learning to better formulate my words. Turning my writings into poetry made me feel like I was crafting my words to create something as beautiful as what I envision. It exercised my mind to come up with creative ways to take something simple and turn it into the beauty we see all around us. Poetry also allows me to set the tone of the writing. The line breaks make the readers pause and take in what I have to say exactly when I want them to. Rhyming also allows me to place emphasis on certain words and allows the readers to grasp their meaning and how they are important to the poem’s entirety. Music also played a part in this writing aspect. I saw music lyrics as a way of putting poetry to a melody that makes it even more impactful. Artists and bands like Prince, The Cure, Pink Floyd, and Bjork have always intrigued me with simple, yet crafty lyrics. I always find it to be beautiful that a song I liked before, became one that I couldn’t get enough of, at a different point in my life. Songs and lyrics have their way of playing upon my emotions, when the time is just right.

This is a poem that I wrote about fifteen years ago. While I don’t like to look back at my older poetry, there is something that I still enjoy. I like to reread them to evaluate where I was in my writing during that time. I cannot remember the last time I wrote poetry, but it is still very much a part of me.

You’re the artist

whose words I long to hear.

The lovely chant of mystery

and thoughts that are so clear.

I see what I wasn’t,

but I know who I am.

Till now, I’ve never heard beauty

flow through words.

Your thoughts – your dreams

glide fluently from your pen.

A crystal image, a thought so pure,

a slight moment of refuge

Where love was almost torture.

I know what you’re feeling,

I know where you’ve been.

And I know all this

from the words left behind

by your pen.

One of my earliest jobs was working at a computer software and video game store named Babbage’s. It was one of my favorite jobs because I grew up playing video games. I would always read about video games, whether it was a review of a game I was looking forward to or the news circulating in the industry. I realized quickly that I really wanted to be the person writing those articles. I suppose my Journalism and TV Broadcasting classes back in high school did eventually lend a hand in my desire to write. As I was in my early thirties, I suggested to my husband that we start our own video game website that allows me to write about video games, while serving as a social media site for its members. I started writing as a freelance videogame journalist for an online site and quickly become one of the top national video game writers for the site. I wrote about gaming news, reviews, and everything in-between. Now, I stick to putting my content on YouTube when I can. Some of the work that I am most proud of are the reviews that I wrote. I still attend the largest video game events every year and this always sparks my desire to jump back into video game journalism.

While my journey has taken me on a beautiful and insightful ride, I am still climbing to the peak of the roller coaster. It is a ride that will never end because I continue to learn and grow as a writer, a reader, and everything in-between.

I obtained my associates of arts last December so that I can continue my education to become an English teacher. I want to work in the middle or high school grade levels, however teaching at a university also interests me. In beginning my classes to obtain my bachelor’s degree, I am finding myself torn on exactly what career I want to pursue, however many doors will open and I have a choice on which ones I want to walk through. I have had quite a few amazing instructors that have utilized various teaching techniques that I would love to utilize with my students. The call for writing is constantly tugging at my sleeve and while I don’t know exactly what direction I will take, I am currently focusing on learning new techniques, ideas, formats, styles, and how to express myself in a manner that best represents what I am feeling.

I know that my literary journey has seen peaks in obtaining a position in the journalism field and learning so much, but there is so much more that I want to learn. I have learned so much in my literary journey and have taken several pit stops along the way. There may have been potholes and uphill paths, but my adventure continues. As I turn my head back to see the long road I have traveled, there is still excitement in knowing that this is only the beginning.

Works Cited

“Language.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/language.

“Developmental milestones: Understanding words, behavior, and concepts.” Baby Center, Aug. 2016, https://www.babycenter.com/0_developmental-milestones-understanding-words-behavior-and-co_6575.bc.

“10 Benefits of Coloring Pages for Kids’ Psychology and Development.” Color Psychology, 2 Sept. 2015, https://www.colorpsychology.org/10-benefits-of-coloring-pages-for-kids-psychology-and-development/.

The Cure. “Strange Attraction.” Wild Mood Swings, Elektra Records, 2016, http://thecure.com/discography/wild-mood-swings/.