Most reading occurs as like a quiet stroll through the woods. Sometimes the woods are less than ideal, and you end up knee deep in puddles struggling to get through it. And then, there’s Mike Rose. Rose’s work cascades down upon you like being at the bottom of a waterfall.

This wasn’t my first time encountering Rose as an author, nor was it even my first time reading this particular chapter. “I Just Wanna Be Average” is not only one of my favorite readings, but also has a unique ability to relate to the reader. Perhaps this is due to the storytelling element rather than a strict literary critique, but the chapter still expresses ideas if the reader is willing to submerge.

Driven home by a few different sections, Rose explains how new facets of his life helped him develop. He beings with the chemistry set, moves on to his storytelling in the back of a truck, dances with the stars in the sky, and finally–with the help of a dedicated teacher–ends with his immersion into the literary world. All of these facets share a common bond in their ability to harbor creativity. Rose wasn’t a memorize the facts and regurgitate them later kind of learner, he preferred to allow his imagination to explore. This is the key to understanding literacy, as it applies to Mike Rose.

Literacy as it applies here opens up Rose’s world. It is the idea that the experimental is good. Literacy breeds the idea; better a fabulous failure than a boring success. It encourages the those willing to try new things to push their boundaries. To truly be literate, one must first be willing to fail time and time again. We covered this in class when we talked about our frustrations learning to read. Rose also hits on this fact. He talks about how proficient he became at looking interested in a class. Rose also explains the normal defense mechanism of daydreaming to alleviate pressure. What Rose doesn’t do is praise these thoughts. Instead, he combats them by telling us stories of his success through his motivation. Thus, Literacy is the idea of struggle, to better oneself and expand your world.

Now, while I’m fairly certain that I’ll take some flak for this idea already. I made sure to bold the point of this ramble, simply to make it easier for people to identify my point and allow for discussion. Rather, what I’m trying to get at it seems is the question, “Do you agree and should the idea of literacy be surrounded by the struggle to learn while being surrounded by failure. Or would you prefer to think that literacy is a wholly inclusive idea which can be achieved by anyone.”