My Pen Writes in Mom and Dad
Lisa Waters
ENGL 1100.46

Literacy means something different to everyone. For some people, it is something they take for granted, a chore even, while for others it is a passion that drives them. And still, for some, it is a privilege that they do not possess. I know my views on literacy vary, depending on what it is I am reading or writing and under what circumstances. My overall feelings and regard for literacy, however, have been very much influenced by my parents and the views they have instilled upon me. My dad’s definition of literacy is "the ability to read with understanding and communicate accurately in written form as the situation requires" (D. Waters). Having an Elementary school teacher for a mother and a father who minored in English (at ECU, no doubt!), reading and writing were never things to be taken lightly in my household.

For class, I recently read Vincent Cremona’s narrative "My Pen Writes in Blue and White," which I can really relate to because it addresses the role of family in literacy. In the narrative, Cremona states that "The manner in which I now write, and communicate for that matter, has been directly affected by the two major influences in my life, my parents." His statement pretty much sums up how I feel about the subject. However, in his case, his parents affected his literary techniques by exposing him to both formal and informal versions of the English language. In my life, it has been how my parents drove me to read and write and have an appreciation for both that has really affected me. My mom once shared with me the story of one of her students who had muscular dystrophy and how her principal advised that her first priority should be to help him read so that when he is one day confined to a wheel chair, reading could be something that might improve the quality of his life. This was my mom’s first year of teaching after graduating from college, so this was a hard thing for her to hear.

Although it made her very sad, she worked very hard with the student, having to work with him one-on-one because of his emotional problems. She said he was beginning to read at low grade-level, but had to be taken out of public school before the year was up. My parents have made sure that I realize the importance of literacy, and over the years, they have helped me to improve my skills in that area. My mom says that she has "tried to impress upon [her] students and [her] own children that developing literacy skills is imperative for their future. A lack of literacy would detrimentally affect other areas of their lives" (S. Waters). My dad also says, "Literacy impacts life everyday. One could not function at any level independently without being literate" (D. Waters).

Both of my parents are able to give me examples of the difficulties that illiterate people have to face, with experiences they have had in their own careers. My dad works in real estate management, and he has had to deal with people who could not read or even fill out a simple lease agreement. My mom has come in contact with some illiterate parents of children that she has taught. In one such case, she explained, a single mother was holding down two minimum wage jobs to support her family and could not even spare $2.00 to send her child on the field trip that they had planned. She went on to explain to my mom that they had had only grits to eat for the last week. After hearing this, my mom talked to the school principal and the kid’s dues were paid out of school funds. There was another case in which a third grader’s illiterate mother could not even sign her child’s homework folder or report card. Hearing these people’s situations makes me grateful that I have the luxury of an education, and I really try to never belittle the value of literacy in my everyday life.

My parents have also shared with me how literacy has affected them and their lives directly. My dad has managed all the personal business for the thirty one years of his marriage and is now responsible for all the business and financial dealings of his elderly mother. My mom explained to me how literacy is vital in activities such as applying for a home or car loan, dealing with banking issues, doing taxes, filling out documents at physician offices, understanding medication prescriptions, and making insurance claims. These kinds of activities require critical and analytical thinking. Knowing that these are all things I am going to have to deal with at some point in my life, I realize that the things I learn in my English classes are actually going to be important to me later on, even after graduation.

With my mom working at the elementary school that I went to, I didn’t get away with much, especially things like not doing my homework. During the critical years of 1st and 2nd grade, when I was learning how to read, she would read with me every night and make sure that I was actually comprehending, instead of just looking at the pictures. Of the current school system in our area, my mom has said, "I am appalled by the expectations of our society. On the third grade End of Grade test, students can score a LEVEL 3, which indicates mastery at grade level standards, without even answering half of the questions on the reading comprehension test correctly! Former governor Jim Hunt has held this accountability test up as a model for the nation, a very poor expectation in my opinion" (S. Waters).

Later, in my high school years, my dad would review my papers with the most prudent criticism, but instead of just making a bunch of marks on a page, he would also explain to me why each change needed to be made. About my education my dad says, "I am bothered by expectations of schools, especially high schools, which I feel do not prepare students for higher level reading comprehension or writing skills" (D. Waters). Both of my parents being unsatisfied with the standards of education at public schools, they kind of took it upon themselves to improve my skills in the areas that they were able to do so. While it got annoying at times, to have my work constantly picked apart by my parents, I appreciated it because I knew that some kids did not receive that kind of help at home. With this kind of guidance and encouragement at home, my skills in language arts have improved gradually. The better I got at it, the more I enjoyed it, and to this day, English is still one of my favorite subjects.

I know that these influences are going to stick with me throughout my life. My mom still has her nose in a book every spare minute she has, and since we are so much alike, I can tell that that will be me in about 10 or 15 years. She loves to read historical romances, as well as mysteries. Some of her favorite authors include Julie Garwood, Agatha Christie, and Patricia Cornwell (who writes about a forensic pathologist who solves crimes). About her hobby she says, "Reading is a form of entertainment as well as a stress outlet. I get to have my own visual interpretation instead of relying on ideas of others in movies or television" (S. Waters). Reading is a very relaxing thing for me as well, and once I am out of school and past the point of reading as an assignment, I can definitely see myself reading as simply a leisure activity. I have and always will love to flip through the pages of a magazine, too. I could also be the type of person to sit down in a big comfy chair on a cold or rainy day and read a mystery novel. If I decide to stick with my English major, my tastes in literature might broaden by the time I graduate, and who knows what I may be reading!

Not only reading, but speaking and writing in a manner that will allow me to advance myself in the professional world is another thing I have adopted from my parents. My dad says, "Being a good writer has impacted my job by being able to correspond with owners of properties and business associates. My co-workers will sometimes come to me seeking help with their correspondence" (D. Waters). I believe I speak for the majority of youths when I say that we like to be taken seriously, and one of the most upsetting circumstances is when our intelligence is underestimated. My parents have made me realize that, in order to avoid this, I must be able to present myself in a manner that garners respect, one of the most crucial parts of this being my literacy skills.

Obviously, my views on literacy have been greatly affected by the views of both of my parents. I know how important reading and writing are to my education, as well as my future, and through my parents’ encouragement, I have developed a devout appreciation for both. I owe my current level of literacy partially to my parents because of the guidance they have offered me throughout the years. This knowledge, I have no doubt, will stick with me for the rest of my life, and I hope that I can one day influence my own children in such a positive way.

Works Cited
Cremona, Vincent. "My Pen Writes in Blue and White."
Waters, Donald. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2005.
Waters, Sylvia. Personal interview. 11 Sept. 2005.