Being illiterate would destroy me. It would kill me beyond all recognition, because I am a reader, and sometimes a writer; taking away such a marvelous privilege would be devastating. It is horrible for me to envision myself not being able to read, “The Great Gatsby”. If I were to lose the ability to read now at this very moment, I think I might go mad. I honestly think I would go off my rocker. How would I know what happens next in, “The Road” if I couldn’t read? I wouldn’t be able to see what my friends are up to on Facebook, and worse I wouldn’t be able to write this blog! Heartbreaking right? It would be too much for me to bare. But if I were to put that aside, and imagine myself in a state of illiteracy without ever knowing what I now know, I can see a situation that is bad, but I must say not as bad.
I can see that if I were to have never gotten the chance to learn how to read life would be very difficult. I would need people to read me my letters, someone to tell me what the newspaper is saying, and I wouldn’t be able to drive because I would never be able to pass the written part of the driving exam. I would have to find a job that didn’t require being able to read. The only jobs I know that don’t really need that are landscaping, construction, and plumbing. All of which I have actually done, and I’ll tell you something; it’s hard! These are not fun jobs; they are very hard; and require a great deal of physical strength. This is about all I would be able to do. Job at a library? Out of the question. How about a job working in an office? Nope. Well maybe unloading office supplies, but then I would need someone to tell me what each box has because I wouldn’t be able to read what the box says. Honestly, being illiterate would be very depressing. But then again maybe not.
Let me start of with a quote, “Ignorance is bliss”. I know some say that this is not true but perhaps, just maybe, it is. Let’s assume it is, just for the sake of argument. Now lets imagine I work at an office. What do people do in an office? Well they file papers, write reports, and on occasion, write reports. Now if I were illiterate, first I wouldn’t have this job. I would not have to read anything, spend my time writing reports, or risk paper cuts filing papers. That last one kind of seals the deal for me. This illiterate business sounds pretty good, at the moment. I would never get depressed by an email from a girlfriend saying that she wants to break up with me because first I can’t read, and second I wouldn’t have an email address. Can you say, “No more spam”?
Now I just want to be clear, I’m not advocating illiteracy. It may look like that, but I’m not. I, simply put, just have a weird sense of humor, and I just felt like ranting for a bit. I do, honestly, wish everyone could read and write. Being literate frees your mind, and your spirit. They may throw you in the “can” for a million years, and throw away the key, and beat you unmercifully, but they can’t take away your knowledge. And not being able to do that, you will always be free. I would never give up my literacy for anything in the world. Not for all the riches in the world, or for a place among kings. My education is so valuable to me, that I find that I am not a good enough writer to convey my feelings towards education, so I will say it in words that I feel are universal and that most people will understand. I love, and adore my education. My literacy is more precious than gold.
I like your examples of all the normal everyday things we take for granted. Being illiterate is like a handicap because everywhere we look there is some form of writing. I look all around my room and all I see are words.
ReplyDeleteNot being able to read a book or browse the Internet all of a sudden would be like death. I do, however, understand your "ignorance is bliss" counterexample. If I never learned to read, then I would not know what I was missing. Eventually, it would get old and I would have to learn how to read. Society simply relies too much on words. It would be so burdensome to have my mom read everything for me! Haha
Hello, and very nice rant :) Its interesting to try to see the world without reading it. I like how you are objective by describing both sides of being illiterate, it shows that your really thinking about it. I also enjoyed your mention of “ignorance is bliss” because I’ve often wondered if this is true, to say it nicely, certain people seem to be more “carefree” than others. Your rant caught my eye because the a few weeks ago a met a friend of a friend who is illiterate. I felt sympathy at first, we played Scene It and he couldn’t differentiate between the letters on the buttons of the x-box remote. Yet then he started talking politics… and my sympathy dissipated. It sounds horribly mean but as a few brain cells popped I found a new appreciation for my literacy. Ignorance must be bliss to be so passionate about how good of a president George Bush still is. So its great you appreciate your literacy, and took the time to ponder what life would be like with out. Until next time..
ReplyDeleteVanessa
I like your approach to this topic, you brought a sense of humor, and I completely got it. I myself cannot even imagine myself as being illiterate. I have known how to read as long as I can remember. I feel pity for those that are, as they are missing out on such a big part of life. I think of all the knowledge I have gained reading books. Not just school books, or biographies, but even in the children’s books I have read. I have learned so much from reading that it may actually surpass all the knowledge I have obtained in school, barring math.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, there are ways in which and illiterate man could survive in this world. Though the paths granted to him are very few, and extremely difficult. He would never be a boss or manager, as any position that may need paperwork would be beyond his abilities. He would about the world only by watching television, but would have no idea what the ticker was saying. This would also severely limit his economic and social choices, and not be the comfortable life that could be attainable if you could read. It would be a poor life indeed, not just financially, but I believe also mentally.