What, me illiterate?

Wow, to think of myself as an illiterate, I think that is very hard. I have always loved words and the stories they create. But if I was illiterate I think the hardest thing obstacle would be school and the confidence I had in myself. But I think one of the reasons why I think this prompt is tough is because how would I have become illiterate in the first place?

Well here it goes, I am illiterate probably because my parents did not care for my well-being, I refused to learn, or I was a mute, and the list could go on. Okay, the point here is that I am illiterate. The hardest part would be going to school- that is, if I wanted to go due to my illiteracy. Learning to do anything in school would be tough. I would not be able to check out a book because I would not even know the Dewey decimal system; well not really, it’s because I cannot read! Another thing that would be hard would be writing a paper. Oh man, those long hours in front of a computer, brainstorming, and trying to beat a deadline. It’s definitely tough writing a paper; okay, I’m just kidding, I can’t even write! What is going on here? I can’t read and I can’t write- well at least I can talk.

But wait, the longest word I know is elastic; my vocabulary has been stunted due to my illiteracy. Wow, I just realized that the rest of my life is going to go further downhill if I never learn to read or write. Well this new revelation is not doing anything good to my confidence.

Knowing that I can’t read or write; I will definitely keep my opinions to myself if all those around are asking complex questions and the others responding with well-thought out answers. I don’t think I have anything great to offer if I can’t even hold a conversation longer than a normal literate person can. Granted illiterate people know how to communicate, but come on, don’t you think it’s embarrassing for me when someone asks me “what was the latest book you read?” and I respond with, “I don’t read.” By receiving pity glances I worry that maybe I should have learned how to read and write as a child.

No one should be denied the ability to learn- especially that of reading and writing. A student who can’t read is already bad enough, and to have one that can’t write to save their life, now that is ultimately life scarring. To know that while you struggle to learn everyone else advances makes life all that much harder than it already is. As life progresses, everyone will encounter life-altering scenarios, epiphanies and inevitably death; but, lack of an education should not be part of life’s cruel penalties to a person. If anything, being able to read and write is a right and a gift in which everyone should be able to relish.