Volunteer to tutor adult literacy

Was trained and everything.

But the lady in charge wanted me to do quite a commute, when I have two public libraries near my home.

Haven’t heard from her since (like, 8 months ago!)

Anyway, marking this as done because I got my training certificate and everything….

Training this Thursday and Saturday!

I get to cross this off the list! Yay! In April (the 14th) I spent a morning learning/qualifying to be an adult literacy teacher.

I am waiting for a match – someone who needs to be tutored during my available hours. I’m looking forward to this as I can’t imagine having reached adulthood with the inability to read…the very notion conjures up total frustration.

One down….42+ to go!...

I never knew what it meant to be illiterate. Even in European countries I could get by because I knew the alphabet and there were many cognates. When I moved to Korea, however, suddenly I couldn’t even RECOGNIZE my own name, much less write it. I was looking for pictures to tell me which door was the men’s bathroom because the signs just looked like a bunch of chickens with inky feet ran across them.

That was a horrible feeling. And having to point at the pictures of the food you want because you are not able to read the menu or being unable to fill out something simple like a video membership card was also a horrible feeling.

When I finally DID learn to read, however, it was a vast ocean of relief. I was no longer relying on the kindness of strangers for my succor and I was once again in charge of my life.

I want to give this same feeling of independence and control to adults in my own country; to people who see signs written in their NATIVE LANGUAGE and have no idea what they say. I want to shatter their shackles of illiteracy and free them to live a full, prosperous, and fearless life.

Is there any greater feeling than being the Captain of your own Destiny?