Reflective Essay On Literacy

Literacy, what is it? When this question was asked, my immediate thought was being able to read and write, duh. But as I sat back in my chair and tried to come up with something to say to the class, I realized literacy is not truly defined by that short definition provided when looked up in the dictionary. Literacy has been an important part every civilization, enabling the recording and sharing of history, thoughts, and ideas. It has a place in every aspect of society. From cooking, to science, to religion, literacy knows no bounds. Although literacy is often thought of as the ability to read and write in an academic setting, to me literacy is more beneficial when used outside of an educational context. Literacy in its most significant form is being able to decipher emotions and feelings, finding productive solutions to the problems, and sharing with others.

This has manifested itself in simple heart to heart talks with people I know, with members of my church, and with teaching the younger children at my church. I am now capable of not only expressing my pain, but also how it has transformed into a much better person. I am able to mentor young children that are experiencing similar difficulties. An example of this is when I spoke to a young man about divorce, for years he had been having problems with having a relationship with his father because he left his mother. I had to explain to him that he needed to address his emotions instead of permitting his emotions to manifest as anger. I let him know how much journaling and reading motivational materials allowed me to free myself from things I had no control over. After much insistence, he began to use my advice and slowly his hardness melted away. And when I think back, I realize that none of that would have been possible without