I’ve always attributed what success I enjoyed in my military and civilian careers to the fact that I could write a decent sentence or two. And I contribute that fact to my mother reading to me and my brother as a child…sorry Lizzy (my sister.) I think we were the targets of her reading because we were always in trouble (just following my big brother’s orders.) I remember the joy, peace and security I felt trying to keep my peepers open just a bit longer, while mom read us stories like: The Prince and The Pauper, Heidi, The Swiss Family Robinson, A Journey to The Center of The Earth and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Do you share such a memory?
So, while there’s been many advancements in the world since January 1, 1983 (the internet’s birthday); still, in the U.S. approximately 48 million adults cannot read above a third-grade level. Globally, an estimated 700+ million adults do not have basic literacy skills. They cannot enjoy the one pleasure free to every human and usually readily available. They don’t get to travel to far off places, to feels what others feel, to experience justice, injustice, fear, love, hate, apathy, or other feelings while reading a well written story, be it: mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, or other genre.
The two years prior to covid, I volunteered at a local library in a program called, 1 2 3 READ. It was designed to help children struggling with reading in third grade to pass the state English Language Arts Achievement test. Normally, Ohio students must meet a specific score to move on to the fouth grade. This turned out to be nothing like I expected. I never imagined how poor some of the children’s reading levels would be. I often felt so bad for them and got discouraged. Then, that one little boy or girl would pay attention, follow instructions and would react to the positive reinforcement, “Excellent!” “Good Job!” “That was Awesome!” You could see the pride on their face–they were learning. Still, often when other adult volunteers didn’t show you had 3 to 5 kids at the same time and it was difficult. I suspected some of the parents looked at the class as an hour-and-half of after school free baby sitting, and they themselves where not avid readers. However, it made me realize more earnestly how necessary and crucial to succeed in life is the ability to read and write. At least for most homo sapiens!
So with this being International Literacy Month, and September 8th, International Literacy Day, if you’re a mom, pop, big brother or sister, grandparent, or even baby sitter, there’s one way we can all contribute to world literacy–read to a child.
I think everyone by now is pretty much familiar with what the late Ms. Dolly Parton did with a good portion of her wealth. If you don’t then visit: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Some three-million books sent free to Children (ages birth to five) each month. She’d been doing this over 30 years.
Now I tried to find a state-by-state events list, but there doesn’t seem to be one. UNESCO is the sponsor and this year they will celebrate Literacy Day’s 60th anniversary in Mexico City. So unless you plan to go, why not just visit your local library this month? They offer so much and the book sales are usually between $.25 and $1.00!
OK, that’s my pitch. I know many (probably most) educational institution no longer teach cursive and have laptops in classrooms for grade school children! This to prepare them for the online-centric world we now live in. Well that’s progress, but I wonder does it contribute to the illiteracy problem? Does it detract from a person’s desire to read and write? Anyone remember calligraphy as a hobby? Or those penmanship classes we had in school? I hope things never get so far gone as to say the same about music, “why learn to play a musical instrument, when now you can stream music on the internet,” or just tell your Alexa thingamabob to play something, or AI to write your music, or book!
Postscript: Hears a thought, read a book yourself! For pleasure. It’s a great way to escape the pressures of everyday life. I recommend this pastiche by Author John L. Swann Wheels Within Wheels (April 2026.) It’s his latest and greatest in his Charlie Chan Returns series.
“He who listens to the chatter outside the window, and neglects his books, is but a donkey in clothes”
(Keeper of The Keys, 1932, Chapter 11)
The Postman on Holiday 