With all of this winter weather lately, and the predicted wrath of Old Man Winter, it is no wonder that I (like many others) am seeking the warm comforts of the season. Yea, this blog isn't always about teaching others to read. Sometimes . . . sometimes it is about what makes moments of reading almost magical and wonderful.
I should admit that at almost anytime of year I will curl up with a good book. Well, to be honest, sometimes I curl up with not-so-good books. Reading is reading. Work reading can be beneficial, not always the most challenging or fun, but certainly worth the effort. But, in the middle of a good winter storm filled with chilling gusts of air and big fluffy snowflakes I find a good work of fiction sets the mood elegantly. While I'm known to read just about anything, my favorite book of all time is Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns.
I first encountered Cold Sassy Tree in the tenth grade while in Maysville, Kentucky. The book struck me then, and it has stayed with me since. I--in all honesty--I have probably reread it at least fifty times in the past *ahem* seventeen years or so. Each time I read it, it fills me with a sense of comfort and peace. Odd for a story about a turn-of-the-century southern town filled with death, back stabbing, and racism. But, as any good story goes, the tale spins its web of characters deep within the reader's mind making it hard to put the tome away. I have been known to sit up all night rereading the book. Willy Tweedy, fourteen for most of the book, tells the tale of his youth, the family's first car, and of his grandfather (Grandpa Rucker) breaking tradition and marrying less than a year after his wife passes. Not only does he marry quickly but he marries a much younger woman. Truely scandalous for Georgia, or most places, in 1904 or so.
Anywho, since I really can't restrain myself from telling you the plot and ending of Cold Sassy Tree I'll sign off for now. In the meantime, go find your own favorite book (or read mine) and pass these bitterly cold winter days away in a pleasant a relaxing manner.
Winter
It's Funny Sometimes . . .
It's funny sometimes how we take things for granted. We take the novel idea that a boy of sixteen can read the local paper, we know what incoming text message say on our phone, and we rarely give a second thought to what we read and how we do it. For those of us afforded the luxury of going to school, and completing that education--on any level--have an advantage.
We can maneuver through the day fairly easily, and we can read random tidbits like this blog. Yet, we may never give a second glace to the clerk at the local grocery store, gas station, or the server in the pizza joint. We don't bother to look past the exterior of their work uniform and see the person there. The person that might have had to quit school to bring in a paycheck, the person that might struggle to read the words on the cash register, and we might not think that person with a sunny disposition doesn't have a high school diploma.
These are the things that smack you in the face when you spend the better part of a week giving practice GED exams. Sometimes the applicants blew me away, sometimes they broke my heart when I graded their tests and saw scores incredibly low, and sometimes . . . sometimes I was shocked because there were from "good families," people I see on the regular basis, and do not fit the stereotype.
And that my friends . . . is one of those moments that is tragically funny when you find yourself looking into the figurative mirror of what you passionately tell others. Folks living with functional, or even non-functional, illliteracy live within the folds of our society and community. And these undereducated individuals, seeking help with reading and GED attainment, could very well be the people we converse with everyday. We take for granted, and assume, that the people around us aren't "them," but you never know who might be in need around you.
Holiday Break
In light of the holidays, we will not be blogging during the next two weeks. Enjoy the season.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Pre-GED testing week
It might be the season of sale hopping, parties, and gift giving, but it is also the time of year when resolutions occur. This year why not make a resolution to help someone obtain stronger reading skills and possibly get a GED? Sounds good, huh? Well, it is.
The Emporia-Greensville Literacy Council would like to invite anyone who is thinking about the GED to come in take the pre-test. The test is free, about four and a half hours in length, and anyone who does not have a high school diploma is encouraged to try it. The results of this test are used to help determine what skills someone may or may not be lacking to pass the full-length exam. Most importantly, the results can not hurt you, and they are kept confidential. The Emporia-Greensville Literacy Council will also give a scholarship to the pre-tester with the highest score. This scholarship will cover the cost of the GED.
The GED pre-test dates are January 11 through 14, and the tests are in the Richardson Memorial Library. Test takers can feel free to stop by, take the exam in one sitting, or in multiple days, and times are flexible. If you have questions, or would like to set up a time to test, please contact Annessa Babic at annessababic@gmail.com or 804-922-7231. You can also call the library at 434-634-2539.
"What we have here . . . "
In the 1967 flick Cool Hand Luke the Captain utters the now infamous line to Paul Newman's character (Luke). Captain tells Luke and the other prisoners that "What we've got here is a failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach, so you get what we had here last week which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don't like it any more than you men." Yea, this quote is about life in a rural prison camp, but in the forty plus years after the movie's premiere these words have been applied to a plethora of situations and conditions. And you guessed it, the "what we have here is a failure to communicate" applies to literacy.
Most of us take reading, and even constructing simple sentences as second nature. We do not think about the complexity of these acts, and we do not agonize about having to read a simple electric bill. Yet, for people who can not read or have weak reading skills seemingly simple tasks of paying bills, reading prescription labels, and reading directions become almost insurmountable obstacles. These moments become the epitome of failing to communicate.
Reading is a form of communication, just like speaking. Reading is also essential to everyday life. Reading . . . reading is the cliche we've all heard about opening up new worlds, and reading is a direct line of communication to the world we live in.
As always, if you know someone who can not read, is weak with reading, or if you would like to volunteer for the Emporia-Greensville Literacy Council please contact us.
Reworking our image
In the weeks to come the newly up and running blog for the Emporia-Greensville Literacy Council will have more posts. In the meantime, please bear with us as we develop and rework our digital image.
In the meantime, if you know anyone in the area who needs help with reading or developing skills for a GED please contact us. Or, if you would like to be one of your volunteers please contact us.
Cheers.