Castor, 1

Alexis Castor
Ms. Hamby
UWRT 1101, Section 28
10 September 2014
Literacy Narrative
Literacy never came easily to me. One would think someone would improve over the
years if they practiced something enough, but for me, Im not the typical student in that regard.
Reading and writing have always been a part of my life since I was very young. Reading and
writing however have not, and still do not come easily to me. For me to read something in
length, I need time. I am a slow reader and I truly believe that it is because of two reasons. One,
which I do not have a passion for reading or do I want to spend my time reading. If I am going to
read something, I prefer to read about the news, facts/statistics, or the national geographic.
Second, I am not exposed to the diverse vocabulary and language one can gain from reading in
their own time. It makes me feel as if I am behind everyone else and cannot read quickly enough
to keep up with the presence of time.
Sometimes I wonder why my parents never encouraged me to read as a kid. They were
always there for me to help me if I couldnt understand how to pronounce a word or needed
better understanding of that word, but I dont remember them specifically telling me to read
instead Id sit on the couch and watch SpongeBob. My parents did not read a lot on their own
either, so I never sought to read. Reading was more of a punishment rather than something I did
for fun. If I had to pick which parent read the most, which was rare, I would have to say my
mother because her work requires a lot of reading and understanding which makes me look up to

Castor, 2

her. She really enjoys magazines which she gives to me when she is done reading them so that is
definitely a bonus for me. I remember in middle school, when I was at that tween stage in my
life, I always picked out and ate from cereal boxes like, Twix and Captain Crunch, with the silly,
crazy stories and mazes on the back of the box. Anything to do with pictures and words together,
I would be more than willing to read what was written. I guess that can explain part of my liking
for the national geographic that I enjoy reading currently.
Since I have a strong liking for visual reading, I suppose one could say that it might be a
strength rather than a weakness. Although it is said that 65% of the worlds population are visual
learners, I see it as childish. Why I see it that way is simply because I feel its a crutch and I need
help from something as simple as a picture just to get through the reading.
Writing on the other hand, is more of an easier task for me to get in the rhythm of
occasionally. Although difficult for me to stay focused on the task at hand, I slightly enjoy
writing. I like to compare writing to something like being stranded in the middle of the ocean, on
a boat, all by yourself with no land in sight. When by yourself in a situation like that, one can
become scared or nervous, unsure of what to do and where to go. This is similar to trying to start
an essay because one can be unsure of where or how to start, what to talk about and it can
become very stressful. However, when you realize being on boat in the middle of nowhere all
alone can be quite tranquil and relaxing after you are done freaking out, it is similar to the ease of
writing. Once I start writing, I get into this mode of flowing thoughts and determination. I relax
and let my mind do the thinking and my fingers do the talking.
Over my entire high school career, I wrote quite a lot of papers. Never the same topic,
always different and precise. There was a couple papers though that I wrote, that I really enjoyed
writing about. One was a research based analysis over two articles and a movie that I wrote

Castor, 3

senior year and the other was over a book we read in class called The Scarlet Letter and we had
to relate it to the real world around us and to ourselves that I wrote sophomore year. Both papers
were written in completely different grades in high school, yet were later used as examples in the
classes I wrote them in for future references for future students as they pass through the life of
high school.
A main reason for my enjoyment of writing over reading came when I was a senior in
high school not long ago. My ACP Composition teacher, Mr. Wachtel, pushed me and my class
to be a better writer every day. The biggest thing he pushed us with was time management. We
had many essays we had to complete back to back throughout the trimester such as different
versions of Cinderella and physiological experiments done in the 1900s. I realized as I was
writing up these essay reports on what we read that I liked expressing my emotions on the topic
at hand. It made me feel like someone wanted to listen to what I had to say about it, even though
no one was going to see it but my teacher. I do not like other people to review my writing unless
its a teacher because I feel writing is a private matter. Research papers are more of a wishy
swash area because you are not exactly expressing your opinion or emotion about what you read,
just expressing facts and supporting the evidence.
There is just something about reading a piece of work, analyzing it, and then stating your
feeling towards it that helps make writing enjoyable at times. If reading was like writing I think I
could easily enjoy both just as much as the other. Writing has a simplicity to it and can go in
many different directions. I try to be a very simple individual in my own regard, so maybe that is
why writing appeals to me. The different paths one can take in what to write about is similar to
the paths and questions one faces nearly every day. Once you make a decision in life, you
typically cannot go back and revise it or start over, but in writing you can go back. You arent

Castor, 4

limited. Reading can do just the same, but I wish there was something that took me away when I
read to keep me engaged and not want to put the book down or go back to the bookstore for
another. My friend, Jasmine, is a great example to use when describing someone who is
constantly engaged in reading and will find just enough time out of her day to read a book. She
really enjoys to read a good book. At times I wish I had the drive like Jasmine does to simply
pick up something I enjoy and pursue it.
When you are in high school, you are forced to read novel after novel, report after report,
and it can get real boring real fast. Even in intermediate and middle school, I had to read AR
books, and after I would read the number of books I was required to finish, I had to take a
quiz/test over the book I read. It has always been a constant forcing mechanism for me
throughout my schooling years as I grew up to not just read voluntarily, but required or I failed.
As I get older, I realize that this system will never fully go away. I will have to read
things for the rest of my life that I will not necessarily want to or find interest in. Take college
for instance. I have to read the chapters assigned to me and take notes. You are not forced to read
but rather recommended to read if you want to excel in your studies and in life. No one is over
your shoulder telling you what to read and how to read it. You are all on your own, which refers
back to feeling like you are stranded in the middle of the ocean on a boat all by yourself. You
make your own decisions and you ultimately lead the life you want to live.
Without literacy influencing my life both positively and negatively, I would not be where
I am at today without the constant guidance I have received and still currently receive from
family and teachers as I progress through different stages of my life. Reading and writing is
always going to be something one will have to understand and come to terms with, but after
writing this paper, I am looking at literacy from a different angle. I realize that even though I

Castor, 5

may not have a family background of strong influential readers and writers, I can start that trend
for me.