Gabriel Jason

Ms. Blandford
Literacy Memoir
9/14/15
Literacy Memoir
What makes us who we are? Is it all genetics? Or is it all environmental? Maybe both
play a factor. One thing is for sure; our literacy plays a big role in defining who we are. Our
literacy though is affected by many variables including: your region, parents view and lifestyles,
the culture you live in, the resources that are available and many more. It all starts the day we are
born.
However, I am not going to go back that early. Instead I am going to start with my earliest
memory of becoming literate in the since of being able to read and write. My earliest memory
goes back to the early days of preschool. The way the teachers took roll was quite interesting.
They didnt call out your name or silently mark down people as they walked in. Instead they had
a sheet in the back of the classroom on which all of the names, handwritten, were listed by the
instructors. The first thing we learned was how to write our names. So Im not sure if I could
actually read at this time but I know I was at least able to identify my name. We would receive a
reminder every day, to go to the sheet and write our name next to our name that was already
written out on the sheet. I remember my name started off as Gabriel and it slowly transitioned
to Gabe. This was a defining moment in my life because even though my family often referred
to me as Gabe this was the start of when I referred to myself as Gabe. This is a moment when
literacy defined me.

I read a lot in elementary school and middle school. My siblings and I had a big red tote
full of books. These books were part of my fathers childhood and literacy; which was passed
down to us. In this box it was mainly Dr. Seuss books. There were so many, one of the biggest
collections I have ever seen. My siblings became writers in their free time at some point in their
lives. My brother wrote poetry and music and my sister wrote short stories, both of them very
good at what they do. I wonder if Dr. Seuss helped create or support those talents of theirs. Dr.
Seuss didnt help me as directly as them but music and rhymes get stuck in my head easily so I
wonder if because Dr. Seuss books are so full of rhymes it helped me develop reading skills. My
father also passed on stacks of G.I. Joe comic books to me and my brother. Unfortunately only a
few of those still survive today but they definitely started my brothers and I journey to more
comic books and into the action and adventure genre. Before that, I read mainly mystery in
elementary school. I believe by the end of the 5th grade I had read every book Andrew Clements
wrote to that day. I still love mystery and investigation to this day. I also love problem solving
and am great at it. Possibly, all those mystery books played a part in developing my problem
solving skills. I had an obsession with space when I was little, I still do, but I remember any
chance I got my hands on a space book I got it. When I was little I couldnt decide what I wanted
to be; an astronaut, a firefighter, astronaut again, a cop, astronaut again and so on. I always
wanted to be an astronaut. Even in middle school I wanted to be an engineer for NASA so I
could create things and get the chance to go in space. Now Im studying computer science and
not really focused on NASA or space but if I was ever offered the opportunity to become an
astronaut I dont believe I would be able to say no. Without access to those books about space I
dont think I would ever had the enthusiasm I have for it now and it probably wouldnt have
determined my career choice for so many years.

Reading and writing were very important in my house growing up. My mother would
basically create our own little family book club, I guess you can call it. I remember the first 2
books we did: Treasure Island, and the Magicians Nephew. Every night, or almost every night,
my siblings and I sat around my mother as she read a chapter or two. Sometimes she would pass
the book to one of us and asked us to read from it. This is where I developed my passion for
adventure books, when I got to middle I started reading more of this type of book, the genre my
mother enjoyed. Some summers she gave us reading assignments. I dont really remember any
books but one. She told us we should read Where the Red Fern Grows; a classic she would tell
us. I dont believe I ever finished it but I did indeed read a good portion of it. Often times when
we did read a book she would ask us to summarize what we read or even ask more complex
questions like what was the main idea or plot.
Never do I think we were told there was something we were not allowed to read. I think
the inferred stance on books was if you can read it and handle it then go ahead and read it. I
remember first learning about banned books in middle school. I never understood the concept of
banning a book and then taking it off the shelves of public schools and even some public
libraries. I never understood why a group of people could decide for every parent what their
child should and shouldnt be reading. Especially because some books were banned because it
conflicted with that groups religion, not because it was gory or adult rated but because it was
about a boy that went to school to learn witchcraft to defeat the dark evil wizard. Again, I grew
up in a house where I dont recall being told I couldnt read something so that probably made an
impact on my stance on banned books.
Writing was also important but not as much enforced. My mother always said, You
come from a family of writers, it will come easy to you. Eventually yes it did. In middle school

I didnt have to be at the bus stop to about 8:15 so I would get up about at 4-5 and write the essay
that was due for the class that day. This is common technique I still use to this day although it is
harder to write 5-7 pages in that short of time period. I may possibly be writing this paper early
on the morning its due. My father and his family are very artsy and me and siblings obtain those
artsy skills. More often we drew and painted and colored. My father is an excellent artist. To this
day my favorite canvas painting of his is his recreation of a photo of my sister at a very young
age. The canvas painting doesnt even look like a painting if you didnt look at it hard enough
you would believe the photo was just printed on the canvas. That painting also inspired me to do
more art. So I became more literate in art before writing but came middle school where there was
very little and much more writing. My brother and I are musically literate we will call it. I got
my first piano when I was in probably the 2nd grade. I remember my father at the time worked for
Verizon and he had to travel to Houston for a week every year. He would always bring back gifts
for me and my siblings. One time he brought home toys for my brother and sister and I got a
bench and a stand for my piano. I was disappointed in a way because I wanted toys to but it did
become useful. It made for a very nice set up for my piano. The first night I had my piano my
father would press a key without me looking and I would have to recreate the sound. I had never
touch the keyboard before in my life so I had no idea what key made what sounds so I just overly
confused that night. When I got my first guitar, again that must have been 2nd or 3rd grade, my
father would teach himself something on the piano, then transfer it to the guitar and then he come
out from the basement, which was his office since he worked from home, and teach me how to
play it on the guitar. Some of the first sings I learned from him were like jingle bells and the
James Bond theme song. So back to the point writing was important in my house but it wasnt
enforced instead the arts were a lot more encouraged and for me especially music.

I got to say I am proud of my literacy and where it comes from. My literacy is unique to
myself. It is rich in arts, reading, and even a good slab of writing. My literacy does define who I
am and you can see it in all I do.