Today Jeanette’s an avid reader.
Sharon Kramer’s guest post last week received so much positive attention that we’re going to stick with the “back to school” theme. The essay Sharon’s fellow writer Jeannette Williams wrote about struggling to read as a child comes with a glorious triumphant ending you won’t want to miss.
by Jeannette Williams
Ahh, reading. Was I ever read to? I don’t remember. My father was illiterate, and my mother worked from three p.m to 11 p.m. We never saw her after school.
Mother was never home when my daddy made us read to him. He could barely write his own name. Starting with the capital G, lower case e, o, r, then another capital G, then ending with lower case e. GeorGe. He signed his last name in all capital letters: B, R, O, W, N.BROWN.
So yes, he could manage to spell his name, but that didn’t save us from his idea of us reading the mail to him. We had to read it to him before we could go out and play.
Maybe he thought he was giving us reading lessons? I don’t know.
We got mail from L. Fish Furniture, Sears, and sometimes from our next door neighbors: George and Bertie Moore. He’d start with my sister Judy, since she was the oldest. She was only in the sixth grade, and when she ran across a big word like “manufacture” or something, she’d pause.
“What’s the matter?” he’d scream.
“Don’t know,” she’d say.
“Why?”
“Just, don’t know.”
“Oh,” he’d shout. “Go and sit on the couch. No outside for you. And you better not cry.”
Then he’d call Jerry. He was younger than my sister but older than me. Daddy would give him the same letter my sister tried to read. Just like my sister, he’d get stuck at the same word. But Jerry would stutter and cry.
“Dummy,” Daddy would say. “Go sit by your sister.”
When it was my turn, I’d run kicking and screaming from the room and hide under the bed. Did this make me a better reader? No. It only made me afraid to pick up a book.
But somehow I managed to succeed
In spite of my father’s reading lessons, I managed to become a Licensed Practical Nurse, and then a Registered Professional Nurse. I read everything I could get my hands on — and then some more!
I may not have been able to read in childhood, but I made up for it in adulthood.
They say a little adversity builds character. Maybe a lot of adversity builds even more character. I don’t think adversity in and of itself is necessarily good. But persistence and perseverance makes all the difference in the world. Thanks Jeanette for sharing.
Jeanette, you are one amazing woman to have accomplished so much. From a fan.
Jeanette, your opening sentence, “Ahh, reading,” captivated me immediately. Sometimes the most challenging things we face have unintended consequences and make us stronger. After reading your story, I want to think your father’s shortcomings added to your eventual success. Hopefully, your sister and brother also benefitted from the experience as they matured. It’s wonderful that you are writing. Another unintended consequence. Brava to you.
Jeanette, I am so much impressed by your story. I think your dad played an important part in making your life successful. I am sure your family is proud of you. I am. Thanks for sharing.
I was saddened when Jeanette told about her father calling them dummies and punishing them for not being able to read big words. Ah, but the triumphant ending was even more glorious after her telling us the struggles she went through!
Jeanette: excellent writing! I love the way you describe your father through dialog. And reading the mail– so relatable. Puts me right in the story. Beth should give us a prompt, “in spite of everything” or “against all odds”. I too got a late and stumbling start reading and learned to be afraid of it. Doesn’t it make you wonder what all the hub-bub is about these days with the “experts” telling us young students are going to suffer their whole lives if they aren’t in the classroom in 1st & 2nd grade? We turned out ok. You even BETTER than ok. Thanks for a lovely memoir.
Great story Jeanette! It touched my heart because it is so relatable. I remember the SRA reading series. The race, the embarrassment, the joy, and the struggle all wound up in a stack of laminated readings cards. You had a set of life on the spot prompts and made it without the stars.
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