Like Peter Pan and the lost boys, I never wanted to grow up. I was “that kid” in my family that refused to learn to read because that would mean I was getting older and slowly reaching the scary world of adulthood. However my parents persisted in teaching me by sending me to preschool and reading to my sisters and I every night before we went to bed. I do not recall learning to read but I must have before kindergarten, because I was placed in the special group of students who already knew how to read. This relates to how I felt about literacy, because I never really felt literate or illiterate. I never really thought about being one or the other. I simply read and wrote and never gave much thought to literacy. However two summers ago, I worked at a summer camp for inner city kids where a surprising number of our campers were “illiterate,” meaning they could not read or write in their native tongue. It was here that I learned how devastating illiteracy could be and how frustrating it can be to not express yourself in the written word or comprehend what someone else has written.
I really enjoy that you’re looking at the negative side of literacy. However, what I am finding more interesting is that you used the word devastating when describing illiteracy which for me plays on how I was discussing the feelings of being illiterate. For you as someone who considers themselves literate the opposite holds negative feelings. Which makes me wonder if those who know they are illiterate (which I know of one person who openly states that they are) see it as devastation or view literacy being devastating. I mean everyone is open to opinion and though I am on your side I feel someone else could more than definitely disagree and the opposite. The woman I know who told me she is illiterate told me that she hasn’t really minded not knowing to read and write because it has made her life simpler in ways. (I am not quite sure I believe her in this but I suppose it is possible to feel as though you aren’t missing out on anything?) I don’t know I just am really curious about people emotions when it comes to illiteracy.
Like elysekarson, I also found it interesting that you call referred to being illiterate as devastating for the same reason. I know someone who identifies as being illiterate and has no inclination of ever learning to read or write because he feels it is an unnecessary skill. I wonder if maybe illiteracy is not considered as taboo or negative for people who grew up with different backgrounds. It could be that literacy has no effect on certain people’s lives, so that being considered literate could potentially be seen as a negative.