I love to learn, I have my whole life. I always liked school, even when I didn't like it, you know during those evil teenage years. I also love to read, and I find joy in writing. Since I started working for LVNJ a year ago I have honestly been fascinated by the idea that adults are out there in NJ who never learned to read or write. I can't relate to that, and often times when I can't relate to something I can't understand it. I did my job for the past year like any other job, just going through the motions. Always happy to have a job that I am good at, and a boss that is really easy to get along with, but never really putting it together with the reason we were there. then J, my boss, said to me a few months ago, "I think you should do tutor training, I think you would be good at it and would like it." Huh, that never occured to me, but since I love to learn, why not.
During the time I was waiting for the training to start I was at work one day and got a call, an older woman in her 70's, she was born and raised in NJ, and never learned to read. This struck a chord in me. I love older people, I love to learn from them and hear their stories about life. I wanted to reach through the phone and give this lady a hug and then teach her to read. It all clicked with me. This is why LVNJ is here, this is why I have a job and why it is really important that I do that job so well. This is why J stresses about money. What if we run out of money, what if one day LVNJ is not here and some other adult out there who can't read or write decides one day, that's it, I am going to take steps and find a way to learn, but they have noone to call because LVNJ is gone.
But we are here, and I am becoming a tutor, and while I don't know exactly who I will tutor, it doesn't matter to me. They called and reached out to people and that is an amazing first step, and I am privileged to help take them the rest of the way, no matter how long that takes. Like a bridge makes it possible for someone to cross from one side to the other, that is what I strive to be, a bridge from illiteracy to literacy.
